Salt Creek Falls is a cascade and plunge waterfall on Salt Creek, a tributary of the

Middle Fork Willamette River The Middle Fork Willamette River is one of several forks that unite to form the Willamette River in the western part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is approximately long, draining an area of the Cascade Range southeast of Eugene, which is at th ...

, that plunges into a gaping canyon in the

Willamette National Forest The Willamette National Forest is a National Forest located in the central portion of the Cascade Range of the U.S. state of Oregon. It comprises . Over 380,000 acres (694 mi2, 1,540 km2) are designated wilderness which include seven ...

near

Willamette Pass Willamette Pass () is a mountain pass crossing the crest of the Cascade Range in Oregon, United States. It is less commonly known as Willamette Summit. The pass is traversed by Oregon Route 58 and by Union Pacific's (ex-Southern Pacific) Cascad ...

in Lane County,

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. The waterfall is notable for its main drop of , ranking third highest among plunge waterfalls in Oregon, after

Multnomah Falls Multnomah Falls is a waterfall located on Multnomah Creek in the Columbia River Gorge, east of Troutdale, between Corbett and Dodson, Oregon, United States. The waterfall is accessible from the Historic Columbia River Highway and Interstate 84 ...

and Watson Falls.) The pool at the bottom of Salt Creek Falls waterfall is deep.

Description

Starting from above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

, Salt Creek Falls drops about , and this height varies little because the giant boulders at its crest have an even surface. However, a couple of protruding rocks interrupt the fall of water. The annual average flow of water approaching the falls is . This flow typically peaks when the mountain snow melts in the late spring and early summer. No water diversion facility exists within the falls or anywhere along Salt Creek.

History

Salt Creek Falls was formed when glaciers receded during the last glacial period, and water from newly formed lakes upstream carved a valley through the forest. A main glacier in the Salt Creek valley seems to have deepened this canyon well below the level of the stream's tributaries, leaving those side valleys towering high above the bed of Salt Creek. Lava flows then filled in a portion of this canyon, making narrow walls composed of columnar basalt visible from Salt Creek Falls. The first recorded eyewitness description of Salt Creek Falls is attributed to Frank S. Warner—a resident since birth of Lane County and settler of the Middle Fork Willamette River valley—and a Warm Springs Agency Native American of

Molala The Molala (also Molale, Molalla, Molele) are a people of the Plateau culture area in the Oregon Cascades and central Oregon, United States. They are one of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, with 141 of the 882 member ...

ancestry named Charles Tufti, who reported the discovery in March 1887. The falls and stream are named for a series of salty springs downstream that are often used as

mineral lick A mineral lick (also known as a salt lick) is a place where animals can go to lick essential mineral nutrients from a deposit of salts and other minerals. Mineral licks can be naturally occurring or artificial (such as blocks of salt that farm ...

s by wildlife. In 2018,

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 185 ...

newspaper named Salt Creek Falls one of the 50 most beautiful places in the state.

Location and access

Salt Creek Falls is situated in the heart of the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...

, in the southern portion of the

, adjacent to the state-designed Salt Creek Sno-park and to Too Much Bear Lake. The falls is roughly west of

and about upstream from the creek's mouth at the Middle Fork Willamette River just below

Hills Creek Dam Hills Creek Dam is a dam about southeast of Oakridge in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It impounds Hills Creek Reservoir, which has a surface area of and a shoreline of roughly , on the Middle Fork Willamette River. Constructed in 1961 b ...

. The falls initially descend over a small number of cascades before the horsetail drop. In total, the falls descend over . Salt Creek Falls is easily accessible by car year-round from

Oregon Route 58 Oregon Route 58 (OR 58), also known as the Willamette Highway No. 18 (see Oregon highways and routes), is a state highway in the U.S. state of Oregon. The route, signed east–west, runs in a southeast–northwest direction, connecting U.S. R ...

, which connects

U.S. Route 97 U.S. Route 97 (US 97) is a major north–south route of the United States Numbered Highway System in the Pacific Northwest region. It runs for approximately through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, primarily serving in ...

north of Chemult with

Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Califor ...

south of Eugene. The day use area is about east of Oakridge and about west of Willamette Pass. Salt Creek Falls and its surrounding amenities are operated by the Hoodoo Recreation Services. The U.S. Forest Service charges a $5 day use fee, but visitors with a Northwest Forest Pass may park there without the extra fee. There is a viewing platform near the top of the falls, as well as a hiking path down to the bottom.

Hiking trails

The Salt Creek Falls Trail has two moderate to difficult paths—a loop hike and a semi-loop hike. Both start at the interpretive kiosk in the parking lot and gain approximately in elevation.

Loop hike

From the parking lot and to the left of the interpretive kiosk is the beginning of the loop hike upstream of the waterfall on the Salt Creek Falls and Diamond Creek Falls trails. The Salt Creek Falls trail starts with a paved walkway along Salt Creek that leads to a picnic area. Past the picnic area is a bridge over Salt Creek that leads to a faint pathway where the trail divides. Following the right side at the junction leads to about of a quick climb that ends in a wide view of the surrounding canyon. Past this viewpoint, the Diamond Creek Falls Trail continues for about past Too Much Bear Lake and ends in a junction that leads to Diamond Creek Falls, which has access to its base over basalt steps, fissures and boulders.

Notes

External links

*
Salt Creek Falls Snow Trail/ Diamond Ck Falls Loop
- U.S. Forest Service
Northwest Waterfall Survey
{{Waterfalls of Oregon Waterfalls of Lane County, Oregon Willamette National Forest Plunge waterfalls