Cedar Creek Grist Mill

I drove out to the Cedar Creek Grist Mill today during a heavy downpour. I was prepared with coveralls and rubber boots however I got lucky and the rain let up as I arrived. If you haven’t heard of this place it is a wonderful spot for photography. My objective was to capture the quintessential fall shot of the mill in all its glory. It looks like I was foiled again. I have looked at others who have shot this area near the end of October and had great success with the foliage. As my luck would have it the trees were already bare and way past their prime in terms of color. I suppose any time of year is worth the short trip up through Woodland Washington and 8 miles up river through the Lewis river watershed. Just take I-5 exit #21 Woodland and immediately turn right crossing the Lewis River then turn left onto Hayes rd which will become Cedar Creek Rd. Follow this upstream for about 7 ½ miles,  a brown sign marked for the mill will guide you the final few tenths of a mile. This historic landmark is open all year for tours and also makes a great spot for a picnic. Enjoy..

Billy Chinook Falls

We recently took a 400-mile road trip this first weekend in October. Mainly I was in search of fall color Near Willamette Pass and also was looking forward to some Aspens near Black Butte. Neither of those images came together for various reasons. We did however manage a nice lunch in Sisters and made a large loop through Redmond and back over Mount Hood. Took a short detour through Lake Billy Chinook in hopes of finding Billy Chinook Falls and any other interesting comps of the reservoir. This is what I came away with. If you ever want to drive through the area you may want to know that continuing on towards Pelton Dam and lake Simtustus makes for a nice scenic drive and really doesn’t ad much more mileage as you will T-bone right into Hwy 26 just South of Warm Springs.

Sahalie Falls Willamette National Forest

Sahalie Falls Mt Hood

Sahalie Falls

Koosah Falls

During recent months I have noticed an increased number of folks using the search terms Sahalie Falls or Sahalie Falls Mt Hood. I then realized that there might be a little confusion on these falls. Yes there are two separate falls named Sahalie in Oregon the lesser-known one is located on Mt Hood, which I have already Blogged about in the past. The larger and much better know Sahalie Falls is located just off of Hwy #126 in the Willamette National Forest near Clear Lake. If you are in the area I highly recommend a trip to these falls which have the added bonus of seeing the rather spectacular Koosah Falls a mere ¼ mile away. You may also wish to make a short side trip by car to visit Proxy falls Located on the Old McKenzie River Highway #242 about 9 miles from Highway #126.

Proxy Falls

 Note: as of June 2010 when I was there Highway # 242 is blocked by a snow-gate at the 11 mile mark. You can photograph the falls but will have to double back if proceeding on to Bend or any points East..  






Beacon Rock and Rodney Falls

If you’re looking for a short excursion near the Portland area that includes minimal hiking and two waterfalls try Beacon Rock State Park located in the Columbia River Gorge about 3 miles west of the Bridge of the Gods. I have been to this park a couple of times and my interest this time was to photograph Rodney Falls and Hardy Falls. A mere 1.25 miles from the trailhead you will come to Hardy Falls and let me say that they are not worth the short stairs that lead down to them I didn’t even bother to take a photograph. On the other hand I was fairly impressed with Rodney Falls and spent quite some time below the falls trying different comps out. On this day it was tough to find a time when I had the area all to myself. This is a popular trail and people generally seem to mill about the falls area making photography tough.
If you have the energy there are several things to explore while in Beacon Rock State Park. The two waterfalls I’ve already mentioned as well as a more extensive hike up to Hamilton Mountain. Additionally you may choose to climb to the summit of Beacon Rock itself via extensive scaffolding like steel stairway complete with fencing and handrails that are securely built right into the rock itself.

Panther Creek Falls Review and Directions

Panther Creek Falls



Panther Creek Falls

Panther Creek Falls really must be seen in person, a photograph really doesn’t do it justice. To find these falls traveling from the Portland area simply cross the Bridge of the Gods,( a $1.00 toll bridge) or you may prefer to head east on Washington’s hwy 14 until you reach the town of Carson. Head north on the wind river Highway for 5.9 miles then turn right on Old State Road follow this road for a short while until you see signs for Panther Creek Campground. You will now be heading north on Panther Creek Road. Follow this road for 7.3 miles passing the campground along the way. There isn’t signage for the falls however just pull off and park in a large gravel turnout on the right side of the road. You will find the trail on the opposite side of the turnout about 200 yards downstream from your car. The falls can be heard almost immediately and the upper viewing platform can be reached in just 300 yards. Finding a way down to the base of the falls is quite possible but it's very steep terrain. I happened across a knotted climbing rope that a previous hiker had left that greatly improved my safety getting down.

If you start your day early enough there will be time to bag another nearby waterfall named Fall Creek Falls. Located another 10 miles up the Wind River Highway. These falls do require a more robust hike of 1.75 miles each way. 

Fall Creek Falls

Salt Creek Falls, One To Remember

Salt Creek Falls

The most visited natural attraction along Oregon’s Hwy# 58 better known Willamette 
Highway No. 18 is Salt Creek Falls.

The Parking area and restrooms with flushable toilets are located 60 miles East of Springfield or 38 miles NW of Chemult Oregon. When you arrive you will have access to a kiosk that shows the history of the area as well as maps and trail descriptions. The falls themselves are breathtaking on two fronts the sheer vastness of the canyon with the creek below and of course the huge volume of water that flows. These falls have the highest and most consistent volumes of water in any of the Southern Oregon falls. The forest service claims this is the second highest falls in all of Oregon; Watson Falls come in a close third.

Salt Creek

I found these falls a little tough to photograph especially when there is strong sunlight causing exposure problems. The second thing that makes photography tough is that the entire upper viewing area is protected by a high guardrail that runs the rights flank of the falls. There is a small lower viewing platform that allows for a frontal shot. I had to go way off trail to get the vantage point you see here. The spray is very powerful and carries downstream for a few hundred yards. I took a dozen shots and all the while had to keep wiping my filters off, I really only came away with one semi clean shot.

If you feel the need for more exercise there are two more falls here that can be accessed by foot, Fall Creek Falls and Diamond Creek falls. If you don’t care about the exercise than I might skip the 6 miles of hiking, as these falls will be a bit of a disappointment. 

Tumalo Falls In Depth

Tumalo Falls

Bend Oregon is truly a magic place but especially so if you happen to be an avid landscape photographer. First off the central Oregon locale is a great launching point for many nearby shooting locations and the town is clean, well kept, and has every thing one would need in a small town. For me being partial to waterfalls the crown jewel in the area is Tumalo Falls. A mere 10 miles almost due west of the city these falls are a must see. Tumalo falls is not a state park so please do not confuse this area with Tumalo Sate Park located off of Highway #20 also right outside of Bend. Tumalo Falls and the creek that feeds it are part of the Bend watershed but the public is welcome. There is a medium sized parking area complete with toilets when you arrive. There are two viewing areas for the falls including a perch that overlooks the top. The area seems to be popular for mountain bikers and cross-country skiers in the winter months. Besides hiking to the top of the falls you can continue on another 4 miles to Happy Valley.

The perspectives of the falls that you see here required me to go off trail a bit trying to tread lightly respecting the ecosystem.

Tumalo Falls

For a bit of history on the area you will learn that there was a very destructive fire that occurred in 1979 that destroyed the area including Tumalo Creek. Only recently in 2004 there was a concerted effort to re-build the area by excavating and reshaping the natural flow of the creek as well as hand planting 700,000 trees. You will notice how young the forest is surrounding the falls and it really makes for a unique landscape.

Nearby China Hat

Getting there: From 3rd St. in Bend (ie. downtown Bend), turn west on Franklin Ave. Drive 1.2 miles (past Drake Park) to Galveston Ave. (also signed as Tumalo Rd). Turn right and drive 10.8 miles along Galveston (which turns into Skyliners Rd.). Immediately after crossing Tumalo Creek, turn left onto Road 4603. Drive 2.5 miles to the Tumalo Falls parking area. The road 4603 is closed in the winter so hiking in is the only way to reach the falls.



Directions are courtesy Leon Turnbull of waterfallswest.com Thanks Leon...

Fort Rock In Oregon’s Outback

Fort Rock

I have wanted to visit Fort Rock State Natural Area for some time now and we recently had a chance to get out there. This volcanic landmark located just West of Christmas Valley in Oregon's outback is known as a Tuff Ring. This huge mass is even more impressive in person as you catch the first glimpse. It was formed during the last ice age when lava pushed through the Brothers Fault Zone and into what was once an ancient lake covering some 900 square miles and reaching depths to 150 ft.
For me the best image to take of this immense landmark is a frontal shot taken along county road 5-10 with ample sagebrush as a foreground. If you have the time and energy you can access the parking area via Cabin Creek Rd to explore the rock on foot. There are fairly clean bathrooms here as well as some plaques telling the history of the area. Apparently some of the oldest human sandals were found in nearby Fort Rock cave that were made from sagebrush. The trails here will take you all through and around the rock; it really is something to see up close. Be somewhat wary of the fact that there was a cougar encounter here just a few months ago.
There are a couple of more points of interest in the area as well albeit a bit of a drive. You may wish to check out Hole-In-The-Ground, Crack-In-The-Ground as well as the Lost Forest.

Toketee Falls Re-Opens

Toketee Falls

For nearly two years the Toketee Falls trail has been closed due to severe blow down caused by powerful winter storms. As of May 28^th of 2010 Toketee Falls is now open to the public. I recently was able to see the falls for the first time myself, and let me tell you these falls are stunning.

The trailhead to Toketee Falls can be found off of Highway #138 23 miles West of Diamond Lake or 41 miles East of Glide Oregon. There is room for about a dozen cars here and yes there is a couple of pit toilet style bathrooms.

The trail to the falls is a mere.4 miles and is very enjoyable hiking along the creek. What is noteworthy about the trail is the nice stone stairs that are built into the ground in spots and the many well constructed wood stairs that assist you in getting to the final viewing platform. These steps that I speak of are almost a work of art as you take different elevations of steps and sturdy black metal handrails, and the way they are situated along sheer basalt cliffs in places. The really cool part is the final viewing platform sits amongst the trees and gives the feeling you are in a tree house.

As for the falls they are definitely in my top 5 of the most beautiful falls I’ve seen. This is a two-stage waterfall dropping 120 feet into an opal pool and surrounded by sheer basalt walls and dense forest; the only drawback for photography is there is only one composition here unless you bring rappelling gear. That is why almost every photo you see from this location is relatively the same. I highly recommend a trip to this area. If you are new to Southern Oregon you will be in for quite a treat if you start in Roseburg and work your way towards Crater Lake. There are 25 waterfalls to photograph along the Umpqua Highway some of the falls you will encounter are: Fall Creek, Watson, Susan creek, Whitehorse, Grotto, wolf Creek ect..

Central Oregon Points Of Interest

Ponderosa Forest

Laurie and I just got back from another 900-mile road trip taking us through Central Oregon and Christmas valley. I came away with many great images including Fort Rock and several noteworthy waterfalls. I will break down the trip with separate blog postings on specific areas of interest. The next few blogs will be related to this recent trip so stay tuned. I had specific areas in mind and mapped them out before leaving and was able to get to all of them except for “ Crack-In-the-Ground “ and the” Lost Forest “. I hope some of the information you get here will be a help to you on you’re travels.