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Beautiful Toketee Waterfall on the Umpqua Waterfall Tour:
Forward ~ Scenery on the north Umpqua River
on the Umpqua Scenic Byway, Hwy 138.
Back ~ Travel Map for the Umpqua Scenic Byway
Hwy 138, and the Willamette Pass, Hwy 58.
USFS: Umpqua National Forest.
Brad and I happily offer the North Umpqua Waterfall Tour: the
Umpqua Scenic Byway, wild and scenic rivers: waterfalls, hiking
trails, Cascade Mountains, Diamond Lake, Crater Lake: Scenery and Map. Or try the Diverse Loop Tour including Crater Lake, the Rogue
River Gorge, waterfalls, hiking trails, the Cascade Mountains
and more: Directions, Map and Scenery.
Travel Directions to the South Umpqua River,
waterfalls & campgrounds.
Poison Oak can be a problem at these elevations.
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Our Getaways offer written Directions, Maps and suggested scenery, spanning Oregon and northern California; places Brad and I have visited and loved. These getaways offer simplicity, yet beauty in scenery, waterfalls, hiking trails, campgrounds, mountains, hot springs, mountain lakes, equestrian trails, mountain biking trails, wild and scenic rivers, scenic byways, Crater Lake National Park, national monuments & more.
Protect our National Forests and Wilderness Areas. Leave NO Trace!
Be sure to check out road and fire conditions at the Ranger Station when planning
and before traveling, hiking or camping in the forest.
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Hwy 138 travels east - west from the Oregon coast to Hwy 97 in central Oregon. The portion east of Glide traveling through the Cascade Mountains is the Umpqua Scenic Byway. The highway connects with Diamond Lake and then the north entrance to Crater Lake. My favorite route encompasses the Umpqua River, Crater Lake, Diamond Lake and the waterfalls. ~ gm
Begin at Crater Lake:
Begin at any point of the tour, but for our purposes, I will choose Crater Lake, as the starting point. Depending on the time of year, you would have to begin either at the north or south entrance. The north entrance, which begins off hwy 138 is the obvious choice, but it's only open for a few months during the summer. I will give both options here: Exiting the park at the north entrance, turn left at the stop sign, the road sign on 138, or the Umpqua Scenic Byway, will give directions to Roseburg. That's the way you want to go. If the north entrance is not open, exit at the south entrance, which intersects with Hwy 62, or the Crater Lake Hwy. Head west on 62, it will intersect with hwy 230, the Rogue Umpqua Scenic Byway, at that juncture, turn north on 230. If you turn south, you will remain on hwy 62, which offers it's own charms, but I'm giving directions for Umpqua Scenic Byway here. ;o) If you choose the south entrance to Crater Lake:
If you choose to take the route that originates at the south entrance to Crater Lake National Park, there's a pretty, yet short, hike to National Creek Waterfalls. (See National Creek Waterfall in the Scenic Vistas on the Diverse Loop Tour.) The sign appears on the right not long after the turn north. Access to the trailhead is but a short drive on a FS road. The hike is an approximate mile round trip. Regardless which route you choose, both are beautiful, each offering unique vistas and charm. Travel Hwy 230, the beginning jog of the Rogue Umpqua Scenic Byway:
Hwy 230 connects with Hwy 138 a little to the west of the north entrance to, Crater Lake. Once you've connected with Hwy 138, you'll see the turn off for Diamond Lake. Stop here for a time if you choose -- perhaps just a drive around the lake, and amazing vistas of Mt Thielsen.
Back to Hwy 138 - travel roughly west and you'll see the signs for a succession of waterfalls. Clearwater Falls is the first. It's just a brief walk from the car, take a look and it's easy to see how the fall got its name. Hwy 138 is marked with the signs to other waterfalls: Whitehorse Falls, Watson Waterfalls and beautiful Toketee, the crown of the river is next. The Umpqua River comes into view only after the sign for Toketee Waterfalls. If you can walk, and have no problem with stairs, be sure to stop at Toketee; from the photo displayed above it should be easy to see why I make this recommendation. Toketee is my favorite, otherwise, it's very difficult to discriminate between the others. Watson Waterfall is grand, the height, the amount of water falling, the breadth of the canyon walls - reminiscent of an amphitheatre. If walking is a problem, Whitehorse and Clearwater Waterfalls are easily viewed. Whitehorse offers a viewing platform from the parking lot. Susan Creek is lovely and the trail is wheelchair accessible. Fall Creek Waterfalls is to be recommended, not the least because of the waterfall, which is quite beautiful, but also because of the trail. Deadline Waterfalls, a class 5 rapid, is the last waterfall, heading west. It's just east of Swiftwater State Park at Idlelyd, Oregon. Continue heading west & you'll arrive at the town of Glide where the Little River crashes headlong into the North Umpqua. An amazing phenomenom in itself. The Little River, tributary to the North Umpqua River:
The Little River offers it's own beauty. Drive through farmlands, alongside the river. Stop at the trailhead for Deer Creek, drive further if you want to see Grotto, Yakso, and Hemlock Waterfalls. Deer Creek is accessible on the county road, which follows the river. The roads for the last three falls are forest service and gravel. The forest service rates the trails for the last three falls as more difficult. If you're interested in viewing the falls, please see Scenery in the Umpqua Watershed.
Enjoy the river, enjoy the waterfalls. As I stated earlier, Hwy 138 extends from Hwy 97 to the Reedsport on the Oregon Coast. Perhaps you want to go the beach. :o) Upon arriving in Roseburg, get on I - 5 heading north. Exit at Sutherlin, and follow the signs to the beach. At this point the Umpqua River has settled into a gentle meander, somnolent in summer, and little more than that in winter. There are nice waysides to stop and relax before continuing your drive. Once you arrive in Reedsport, you can head either north of south. South will eventually bring you to many of the sites pictured in the southern Oregon pages of this website, as well as, the Oregon Redwoods on the Chetco River, and further south, the California Redwoods. Scenery on the Oregon and northern California coasts. Travel the south fork of the Umpqua River.
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