After mostly taking a few years off from the Mount Jefferson area after the publication of 101 Hikes in the Majestic Mount Jefferson Region in 2016, I decided to go back and begin exploring the area again in 2019. I will be writing about some of these experiences here.
Downing Creek Falls, May 2019.
When you’re driving south on Oregon Highway 22 towards Santiam Pass, you cross Downing Creek not terribly far before the turnoff to Duffy Lake. If you look really, really closely out of the corner of your eye (don’t look too close, you’re driving!), you can see a waterfall back in the woods along Downing Creek. Being a huge fan of all things Mount Jefferson, this waterfall had long intrigued me. But for whatever reason, I never stopped to check it out.
Over time the various waterfall explorers of the internet did stop to check it out, and came back with an interesting story: what you can see from the highway is not Downing Creek Falls, and indeed the real Downing Creek Falls is further upstream. I was intrigued.
As it happened, I never really had a chance until I found myself with a couple hours to kill on my way back from Central Oregon. Earlier in the day I met my buddy Gene in Sisters so we could go explore Skylight Cave. After this, we made our way to the Jefferson Lake Trail to check out the scene there. You can read about this adventure in the blog post linked here.
Our day ended a little earlier than expected, and I found myself with a little extra time. So I pulled up my phone and navigated my way through the internet to the set of directions I had for Downing Creek Falls. You can find them with a little internet sleuthing; I won’t link to them here.
So I found myself driving down Highway 22 heading north, and I knew that I had to turn off the highway onto a barely noticeable road and drive a little ways until I could park. This was easier said than done; with cars behind me and me not knowing where I was going, it ended up being difficult. The driver behind me honked at me as I turned. I’m sorry!
After a little bit on this forest road, it got so narrow I just decided to park and walk the rest of the way. It turns out I could have driven a little further but I was enjoying myself! Once off the highway I was all alone here. So I walked down the road, on my way to a waterfall deep in the woods.
My directions said I would eventually come to some roadblocks, and sure enough, the road was no longer navigable after about a half-mile from where I parked. From here I picked up a trail and continued into the woods. Before long I came to Downing Creek, and not long after that, the falls came into view. It was every bit as beautiful as I had heard:
Downing Creek Falls.
The falls stands about 35 feet tall, plunging into a bowl so lush and verdant that it glows. The sun came out not long after I got here, and I sat in the sun by myself just taking it all in.
The falls presents a variety of compositions, from close up (see above) to further back. After poking around a bit, I decided that I loved the angle of the falls from a bit further back, along the creek:
Downing Creek Falls, May 2019.
Eventually I had to turn around and drive back to Portland. But on my way back from the falls, I did stop and explore the banks of Downing Creek some more. I found a small pocket of intensely blue water not far downstream from the falls:
And not far from where the user trail returns to the narrow access road, I found this stunning scene along Downing Creek:
It was the perfect end to a long and fascinating day spent in the mountains. Now…if only I could remember how to get there again. ;)