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.
We put in near the beginning of the T ualatin River Water Trail , at the Farmington Paddle Launch (top left of map). The park has good parking, restroom, and a small gravel path to the river which is longer than I thought. The actual boat launch ramp was not there. Not sure what happened to it, but there is not a great place to take in and out. Manageable, but not ideal. The river here is not very wide, and it stays about the same width most of the way upriver, which is the way we went (easier when coming back). It is beautiful, with lots of trees, flowers, and shrubs on the bank. The water was slow and calm, easy to paddle. There are also a lot of trees and branches to look out for. Nothing impassable, but there were several times I hit a snag underwater I didn't see until I hit it. I didn't have to take the pedals out to navigate, although I did a few times just to be safe. We had the pleasure of our older daughter meeting us here with her paddle board. There was only one pl...
Depoe Bay First Day Hike to Boiler Bay We decided to start off the new year, literally, with a First Day Hike, a special program from Oregon State Parks Starting Location: Depoe Bay Whale Center Point of Interest : Boiler Bay, possible whale watching? Length of hike: 4 mile round trip Level: Easy The weather was gorgeous, if a bit on the chilly side. But January at the Oregon Coast? We'll take it. We gathered at the Depoe Bay whale watching station in the middle of town, and 2 rangers led us on a hike to Boiler Bay. We met up with some friends from Dallas who were interesting in hiking together once a month, and this seemed like a fun way to get started. We also had some family join us from Albany. Oregon State Parks has several First Day Hikes available on New Years Day. We chose this one. The hike was 3 miles round trip, and on a sidewalk most of the way. Still, there was a great turnout for the event. We got some weird look from drivers passing us on Hwy 101, but...
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