Shadow Falls

Shadow Falls
The sliver view of Shadow Falls near its base.
User: Austin Explorer - 6/9/2022

Location: Umpqua National Forest

Rating: 3stars
Difficulty: 4stars  Solitude: 5stars
Miles Hiked: 2.20 Miles  Elapsed Time: 1 hour, 38 minutes

Comments:

On our final hike in Oregon, Coppertone and I chose this hike for its proximity to Wolf Creek Falls.  It required driving over several miles of logging roads with some potholes to contend with closer to the trailhead.  This remoteness probably accounts for the fact that we didn't see another soul on the trail.

This was among the muddier of the hikes we'd done in Oregon.  At times we grabbed some nearby fallen tree debris to use as "stepping stones" to get through the more troublesome spots.

The official Thundering Waters brochure claims a .8 mile hike to the falls.  We found that to be true, if you count it as the top of the falls.  The trail continues for about another quarter mile and descends to the falls' base.  It's worth the extra steps to visit.

The trail ends at the base and for its size the falls are a bit attenuated in volume.  The reason is that the base of the falls is largely enclosed somewhat is a small grotto with a narrow keyhole opening leading downstream.  There's plenty noise and mist, but it's strangely muted.

On our way back to the trailhead we stopped at the top of the falls we had passed on the way down.  We ventured closer to the very edge of the falls top and you could really hear the waters' roar there.  What had been minimized somewhat by the rock below was now quite evident.

The hike's length of 2.2 miles is not that long, but our legs were feeling it after a solid week of hiking.



Log Photos
Shadow Falls
Trail View
Bridge Crossing
Balancing Rock
Intricate pattern
Falls from the trail
Top of the falls
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