Salt Creek Falls
Salt Creek Falls is a short but spectacular Oregon hike, which offers views of some of the most amazing waterfalls in the area. This hike is great for summer and fall hiking, as well as winter and early spring snowshoeing.
(Salt Creek Falls observation platform, July 2014)
Salt Creek Falls is Oregon's second tallest waterfall (at 286 ft.) and quite a site to see! What's great about this hike, is that you can choose to hike a 3.4 mile loop or you can add some extra mileage to the loop by taking an out and back trail to see Fall Creek Falls and Vivian Lake. (*Keep in mind you can only do the shorter loop in the winter, as the trail up to Vivian Lake is not marked with snow season tree markers).
(Salt Creek Falls observation platform, February 2016)
You can start the loop from the parking lot (there will be a sign on the West end of the lot), or you can start by heading West (downhill) from the observation platform. Regardless of which way you start, you will have to cross a bridge to get to the other side of Salt Creek.
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If you are snowshoeing in the winter, the bridge can be a bit tricky because the snow can pile up higher than the bridge's guard rails. But the bridge is fairly wide, which allows you to walk on the snow with a few inches from each edge. |
Pretty much right after the bridge, there is another very small foot bridge and then the trail splits. Since this is a loop, you can choose to go either way. When we hiked this in the summer we went counter-clockwise and noticed that most of the other hikers were going the other way. I will be describing the trail going clockwise since that is how the GPS track is depicted.
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For .6 miles you will traverse through the woods with a slight incline and only about 3 switchbacks. It is easy to find your way through the woods even when there is snow because of the bright blue diamonds that are posted to trees about 30-50 feet apart. As you can see in this photo of the trail, you can always see one gleaming in the distance. 
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After the .6 mile, you will come to a road crossing. In the early spring on snowshoes this can be tricky because the center of the road melts first, so then you are left with 5 foot snow banks on either side. It is also much harder to see the trail on the other side of the road. In the summer this is not a problem at all. Just cross the road and continue another .6 mile to a second road crossing. |
After having crossed the gravel road for the second time, you will see a sign to Vivian Lake on your left. This trail is not marked with blue diamonds, so unless you are an expert navigator, snowshoe expert, or an expert cross country skier, I DO NOT recommend doing this in the winter. (As you can see on the map, we did attempt to find the Vivian Lake trail in the snow but were not even close to it). If you want to add on an additional 4.6 miles (out and back) onto your hike in the summer go ahead and head up the hill and cross the train tracks to get to where the Vivian Lake trail officially begins. *Please keep in mind that before you get to the train tracks, you will have to cross Fall Creek on a very low slab of cement, which in the summer is no problem, but in the winter and spring, the creek will be flowing over the road. Please be careful here.
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After a fairly steep 1.3 mile uphill climb, you reach Upper Fall Creek Falls. The falls are 40 ft. tall and tumble into the creek below. This is a beautiful site after hiking up the hill through very dry woods. The mosquitoes can be really bad here in July and early August, so Vivian Lake may not be a good idea in those months. The lake is nestled a beautiful meadow lake with Mt. Yoran in the background.
(picture of Vivian Lake taken by Jason Marshall)
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(Upper Fall Creek Falls 160 ft.)
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If you have not chosen to hike to Vivian Lake, you will continue straight on the Diamond Creek Falls loop, and you will reach Diamond Creek Falls within a few hundred downhill yards. There is a small lookout platform which is safe in the winter. If you are hiking in the summer, you can take the little side trail down the hill, cross the log bridge, to get to the bottom of the falls. Diamond Creek Falls cascades angelically down 100 feet and creates a wonderful cooling spray in the air. It is about .2 miles to get to the bottom of Diamond Creek Falls from the actual trail, and the steep jaunt is definitely worth it!
(Diamond Creek Falls from the lookout platform)
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(Diamond Creek Falls 120 ft.)
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From the lookout platform you will hike 1.4 miles along Fall Creek (which later joins Salt Creek). This stretch of woods is incredibly beautiful, especially in the winter time.
After a little while in the woods, the views open up to your left and you can see some magnificent views of the steep Salt Creek Falls canyon below. You can also see the hills beyond to the North, and on a clear day you can see the ski runs of Willamette Pass.
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After catching some breathtaking views, you will hike another .2 mile and come across Too Much Bear Lake. If you are just doing the loop, this is a great place to have a picnic lunch. In the winter the lake is pure white covered in snow. Right after the lake, you will end the loop and cross the bridge again.
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(Salt Creek Falls 286 ft.)
If you are hiking this in the summer, I suggested taking the small scramble trail that leads down to the bottom of Salt Creek Falls. It's an absolutely beautiful sight from down at the bottom. The basalt lava rocks have broken off over the years and have left amazing shapes underneath the overhang of the waterfall.
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The rocky scramble is definitely worth it, however I don't recommend it for the faint of heart. It was easy to slide down to the bottom, but very difficult trying to climb back up.
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Overall, I highly recommend this area for hiking and site seeing. There is something here for all ages and activity levels. I wouldn't necessarily recommend going in the prime of summer because it is hot, there are lots of people, and the mosquitoes are out in throngs! Try this hike in June (if the snow has melted) or in September/October. And if you are into snowshoeing, you can do the shorter loop any time during the winter, as this loop is marked with blue diamonds along the entire loop.
Approximate hike time: 3 hours (for 3.5 miles of snowshoeing the loop)
Suggested seasons: Summer and fall (hiking), winter and early spring (snowshoeing)
(Best time to go is September and October. Avoid mid-June through August due to mosquitoes. For snowshoeing ideal times to go are December, January and early February, depending on the snow year).
Trail usage: Moderate to heavy (light usage in the winter for snowshoeing)
Directions: From the town of Oakridge drive east 22 miles on Hwy 58 until you see a sign for Salt Creek Falls on your right. This is a fee area, so make sure to have your Northwest Forest Pass, or be prepared to pay $5 at the parking lot. If you are coming for snow shoeing, be prepared to park at the sno park and make sure you have your snow park pass (this is different than your NW Forest Pass).
Suggested seasons: Summer and fall (hiking), winter and early spring (snowshoeing)
(Best time to go is September and October. Avoid mid-June through August due to mosquitoes. For snowshoeing ideal times to go are December, January and early February, depending on the snow year).
Trail usage: Moderate to heavy (light usage in the winter for snowshoeing)
Directions: From the town of Oakridge drive east 22 miles on Hwy 58 until you see a sign for Salt Creek Falls on your right. This is a fee area, so make sure to have your Northwest Forest Pass, or be prepared to pay $5 at the parking lot. If you are coming for snow shoeing, be prepared to park at the sno park and make sure you have your snow park pass (this is different than your NW Forest Pass).
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*All pictures unless otherwise marked are taken by Franziska Weinheimer
*Disclaimer: the trail descriptions, mileage, GPS tracks and difficulty ratings depicted on this website are never 100% accurate. Always hike at your own risk, using your own knowledge, equipment and common sense. Franziska Weinheimer/Hike Oregon are not responsible if you or anyone in your party gets injured or lost while attempting one of these or any other hikes.
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