LOCAL ADVENTURE: SPRING WATERFALLS ON THE Oregon Coast
BEST SPRING WATERFALLS ON THE OREGON COAST
April 2021
With spring showers and snowmelt filling our rivers and streams, spring is the ideal time of year to visit the beautiful rushing waterfalls of the Oregon Coast. Our Adventure Team has curated a list of three of our favorite local waterfalls for you to head out and explore this spring. Bring along Adventure Provisions from Meridian Restaurant & Bar and enjoy a waterfall picnic on your hike!
NIAGARA FALLS
Deep within the Siuslaw National Forest are two towering hundred-foot waterfalls at the end of a 1–mile out–and–back trail. Rated easy, the trail features switchbacks as it traverses its way down to Pheasant Creek Falls and Niagara Falls. Be sure to reserve your Adventure Provisions as this hike features a picnic table where you can take in the beauty of both waterfalls while you dine on your Charcuterie Picnic or Pacific Pink Shrimp Wrap.
From Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa, head southeast toward Cape Kiwanda Drive and get onto Highway 101 heading north. Turn right onto Blaine Road and then continue NF-85 (Upper Nestucca Road) along the winding Nestucca River. Turn right onto Niagara Road and continue onto NF-14 until you arrive at the trailhead in approximately 3.8 miles. Total drive time to visit our spectacular pristine Niagara Falls is 55 minutes.
MUNSON CREEK FALLS
As you make your way from Portland to Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa, be sure to stop at Munson Creek Falls, just a few miles south of Tillamook. Munson Creek is the highest waterfall in the Coastal Range, cascading down over 300 feet. The easy trail to the waterfall winds .6 miles through old-growth forests. The trail is dotted with blooming trillium, corydalis, and violets creating a colorful and vibrant hike during spring and summer. Munson Creek is also home to a vital salmon habitat. In the late fall you can witness spawning salmon just below the surface.
From Headlands, head North to Highway 101 via Sandlake Road. Stay on Highway 101 for 4 miles until you reach Munson Creek Road. Turn right onto Munson Creek Road and drive a mile west, then take a slight right into Munson Creek Falls Start Park. Total drive time from Headlands is 28 minutes.
DRIFT CREEK FALLS
Located about 10 miles east of Lincoln City, Drift Creek Falls Hike is famous for its waterfall, its lush Coastal Range old-growth forest, and its 24-foot-long suspension bridge. The well-maintained trail is a moderate out-and-back with a loop, for a total distance of 3.7 miles. The heart-stopping suspension bridge connects two canyon walls 100 feet above Drift Creek. This hike is a classic Coastal Range hike, a must for Pacific Northwest lovers and visitors.
From Headlands, head south to Highway 101 towards Lincoln City. After 12 miles on Highway 101, turn right onto South Drift Creek Road, then left onto NF-17 to the Drift Creek Falls Trail Head. The total drive time from Headlands is an hour and 10 minutes.