Waterfalls, Waterfalls, and More Waterfalls

Endless waterfalls seemingly emerge around every corner on the first half of this magical 7 mile loop trail, which follows Tumalo Creek as it plunges it’s way through the eastern Cascades toward Bend, Oregon and the Deschutes River twenty miles away. The spring fed creek emerges from just below picturesque Tam McArthur Rim on the eastern slope of Broken Top and is joined by two other clear mountain streams before dropping 97 feet over Tumalo Falls – the popular main attraction at the trail head.

The Tumalo Falls overlook is a short walk from the parking lot and can be crowded. On our visit, we had to park down the road a little way. These falls are majestic and the draw is understandable. However, the further from the falls you go, the thinner the crowds get and once you are above Double Falls (pictured at the top of this post), the number of people you will encounter dissipates dramatically. Those who turn around at this point, however, miss some picturesque waterfalls in pristine alpine environments.

It’s uphill on the North Fork Trail for the first half of the loop moving counter clockwise, but the reward for the hard work is constant, awe-inspiring beauty. Of note, the trail has roughly 1100′ of elevation gain and is also an uphill only section for mountain bikers. You are not always next to the creek, but the sound of rushing water, at times loud and powerful from the falls and at other times a distant whisper like wind through the trees, is constant and soothing.

Near the top, you turn left onto the Swamp Lakes Trail and soon cross the Middle Fork of Tumalo Creek to begin your decent toward Bridge Creek. The crossing here is a bit shaky as an old fallen tree 20 feet upstream from the trail serves as a bridge. The water is crystal clear and feeding trout can be easily spotted. My son and I made a note to come back with our fly rods.

The way back down the second half of the loop steers you through a mix of open manzanita bushes and pine forest. For us, this side was hot and not nearly as rewarding as the first half even though it was primarily down hill. This trip could make for a good out and back solely on the North Fork Trail. However, we would have then missed the 25 foot Bridge Creek Falls which is visible from the lower and final trail of the loop aptly named Bridge Creek Trail (turn left onto this trail) which runs the final 1.1 miles along Bridge Creek back to the parking area.