We decided to take a look at several waterfalls along Highway 138. The first stop was at Clearwater Falls. This 30 foot falls cascades over moss-covered rocks and logs and is known as a segmented falls. There is a lot of water in the river this time of year with all the snow melt.
Next was Whitehorse Falls, a 15 foot falls on the Clearwater River that empties into a "punchbowl".
The majestic Watson Falls is the tallest falls in Southwest Oregon, plunging 272 feet over the edge of a basalt lava flow.
A wooden bridge crosses over Watson Creek 0.3 mile from the trailhead and offers an excellent view of the falls.
You could feel the spray from the falls when we reached the top of the trail.
At the trailhead to Toketee Falls we found this wooden stave pipe. Water from Toketee Lake flows through this redwood stave pipe, an underground tunnel, and a steel pipe en route to produce hydro electric power. The pipe was running full as there were a few tiny holes near the top spraying out water!
A trail leads through old growth forest along the North Umpqua River with views of cascading water through a narrow rock gorge. The word Toketee in the Chinook language means "pretty" or "graceful".
The upper descent drops 40-feet, and the lower falls plunge 80-feet over a sheer wall of volcanic basalt, creating a tiered, punchbowl effect.
The trail has 200 steps leading to a sturdy deck overlooking the two-tiered falls. Ceilidh enjoyed her afternoon out and needed a nap when we got home.
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