Starting Location: Parking lot, Point of Interest : two waterfalls, forest trail
Length of hike: Just over 2 miles,
Level: Easy to moderate
Bathrooms: Yes, pit toilets
Parking: large gravel lot
EV Chargers: No
$5 Day Use Fee (BLM) with credit card machine (not working)
We were fully expecting rain today, and were dressed for it. But somehow it just never showed up while we were hiking.
The drive to Alsea Falls is beautiful, if winding. We came up from Philomath, but there is also a route from the East, by Monroe.
Due to recent rains, the flow was pretty high, which made for a lot of water coming through the falls. Alsea Falls is just a few steps from the bridge over the river, and we could hear it. There is good access to the riverbank, and the trail is well maintained.
Here's a video to give you an idea of how powerful it sounded.
This is the view from the bridge, and you can see 3 from our group sitting next to the raging river.
We then headed down the trail to Green Peak Falls, which the sign said was about 1 mile away. Again, the trail is well maintained, with few steep areas. Even the mud was sparse. we only had to go around a few puddles. There were 2 deadfalls across the trail, but not really slowing us down.
The trail is also well marked, so it would be hard to get lost.
About halfway to Green Peak Falls is this campground (which was closed), with toilet. There's also a bridge across the river.
The parts of the trail that are steep, or go over a ravine, have very stable bridges and/or steps. These steps led to the bottom of Green Peak Falls, which seemed even louder, and there was a definite spray at the bottom. which we braved for photos.
It was hard to hear over the roar of water, and my glasses got covered with spray, but it was worth it. I wonder what it looks like in the summer?
On the way back, not far from the campground, Peak Creek joins the South Alsea River, and we found a swing hanging from a tree. The wooden slat of the swing was just low enough to be pushed around by the water. None of us was brave enough to try it out. Maybe in the summer?
On the way home, we stopped to get a picture of this old mossy sign for the Hubert McBee Memorial Campground. It still had not rained on us, and we headed home happy hikers.
We also stopped in Corvallis at the Old Spaghetti Factory for a late lunch. Yummy.
S5. Hike #17 - Drift Creek Falls Starting Location: parking lot at trailhead Point of Interest : forest scenery, waterfall, suspension bridge Distance : 3 miles (with option for 1 more) Difficulty : Moderate due to steepness Bathrooms: Vault toilets at parking lot Parking : decent parking, well marked. EV Chargers : no It's been quite a few years since we've been here. The road to the trail is longer than I remember, and not really well marked. There is a sign on Hwy 18 for Drift Creek Covered Bridge, and this is the correct turn. There's another way coming from Hwy 101 south of Lincoln City. The road is narrow, but paved the whole way. You just have to go slow around corners. We came here on Veterans Day, and the weather was gorgeous. Temp was mid 50s, but my hands did get chilly in the forest. The trail is easy to follow, and well maintained. It wasn't too wet when we hiked, so not muddy or slippery. We did bring a set of poles, an...
Olalla Reservoir Starting Location: Boat Ramp at Olalla Lake Point of Interest : lake with wildlife, trail around lake (partial) Bathrooms: Yes (porta potty) Parking : gravel lot, good size. EV Chargers : No Rentals: No This was our second time at Olalla Reservoir. Our first time was during the 4th of July weekend, and it had been packed. Today, we were meeting friends, and bringing someone new to kayaking. We had planned to meet after 10am, but learned that the gate to the reservoir was locked, and that a ranger was supposed to unlock it by 11. I was expecting a long line of people waiting, but when we finally got to the gate, there were only 6 cars waiting, and the ranger showed up 10 minutes later, so we didn't wait long. The water level was much lower than in July, and I've heard that it usually gets closed in the fall at some point when the water level is low. However, we were able to get on the lake quickly. We had borrowed a kayak for our...
Ellendale Creek Loop Starting Location: Yellow Gate, park on side of road about 2 miles up Reuben Boise Road Point of Interest : views Length of hike: 4.8 mile loop Level : Moderate - well kept trails, some steep elevation Bathrooms : No Parking : Side of road EV Chargers: No Even though we have lived very close to this trail for over 20 years, we had never heard of it before. It's not well marked, and there are no signs naming it, or trail markers, but there are logging roads, and some horse trails heading up the hill. Of course, I forgot my phone on this hike, so few pictures. The first part of the hike is through forest, which is fine, but you are going up hill, so there's no view unless you turn around. You should turn around to look occasionally, because there are some nice views. If you make it to the top, there is a nice view of the valley, and we could see several of the larger Cascade Mountains, including the Sisters, Jeffe...
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