Watson Falls is a fantastic looking 293 foot waterfall located in the Umpqua National Forest of…read moreSouthwest Oregon. It sits just 54 miles north of Crater Lake National Park. Watson Falls can be combined together among a trifecta of landmarks all within short distances of each other for a full days worth of basking among the great outdoors. First, start out here at Watson Falls. Next, head 3 miles down the road to Toketee Falls and then finish up 4.5 miles away at Umpqua Hot Springs. But, back to here at Watson Falls and what to expect... To arrive at Watson Falls, it's an easy one mile roundtrip pathway loop gaining 370 feet in elevation. Leave your car in the parking lot, then cross the street and into the forest. You'll pass over a footbridge and continue on the trail which veers towards the left. Finally, approach a Bench Viewpoint of Watson Falls, but that's not nearly a good enough perspective. Climb the rocks and head straight to the base of the falls. Then you'll confront waterfall bliss. What's terrific about standing at the bottom of Watson Falls is that you have the entire waterfall and backdrop to yourself. There's no blemishes or disturbances. In essence, the setting is a waterfall enthusiasts' dream come true. During my visit in early September around 10am, I had unlimited time to admire this stunning natural wonder. Best of all, Watson Falls is one sheer 293 foot drop. There's no cascading down a cliffside or being broken up into different sections or tiers. It truly shines outright. You can continue onward to the Upper Viewpoint which is a short little walk uphill, but the views from high up don't nearly do it justice. The Upper Viewpoint can be skipped altogether but it won't hurt to take in a different glance of Watson Falls if your curiosity gets the best of you. Finally, it's time to return back on the trail to the parking lot. In total, you can take an hour or so to appreciate experiencing Watson Falls. Next up will be Toketee Falls, which is similar to Watson Falls in that it'll take about 1 mile to reach all while hiking through the pristine Umpqua Forest. Overall, Watson Falls is a magical little roadside stop as you make your way through Southwestern Oregon. It may be under the radar, but deserves a place on your To-Do List.

Definitely one the best falls in the area! There's a trail to the bottom of the fall, a loop trail…read moreout, and another trail to overlook higher up! All worth the hike! Best to go when water is flowing heavy in early season.

August 31, 2025 - Tiller, Oregon…read more The road to the waterfall is a 4-mile drive on a narrow Forest Service Road (NF 6530) off of OR-230. There is a sign that directs you to the small parking lot. From the parking lot, reaching the waterfall is an easy half-mile walk through the forest, with a few switchbacks along the way. The trail is well cared for, dogs are welcome on leash, and the peaceful beauty of the woods made the journey every bit as rewarding as the falls. Although, we had been warned about the mosquitos in the area, they were not an issue at all when we were there. Well worth the slight detour on your way to Crater Lake, Diamond Lake or the Rogue River Gorge.

You drive about 4 miles off OR-230 on a paved 1-1/2 lane road to the parking area. The parking…read morearea is dirt. The hike is about half a mile downhill on switchbacks. The falls are quite beautiful and worth the hike down and back. There is no cell phone service, so you will have to save the photos to send out later.

This is a little too rustic. The trail to the hot springs is steep and not well maintained. The…read morepools are gritty and shallow. Went once and that's enough.

This place was worth everything! We recommend coming early when they open so you get a pool. We got…read morethere at 8 and most were full but luckily they

Nice falls, fun short hike. Rocky, windy trail up to the falls. Burn zone, so lots of trees down,…read morebut we enjoyed the path along the stream and through the rocks and shrooms. Only a handful of parking spots at this one, and no vault toilet.

Fall Creek Falls- AMAZING!!!…read more I love this place! The hike to the Falls is beautiful with plenty of things to explore, and is not all that far. When I got to the Falls there was a family there that was just leaving and I wound up having that entire area to myself for about 45 minutes. I spent more than half of the time meditating directly under and right next to the falls, make sure you bring a bathing suit so that you can really get in there and sit under the water. It was by far one of the most energizing waters I've ever had the pleasure of being in, it was alive, electric and conscious and really gave me the mental, spiritual, physical recharge that I had needed for so long. I don't think you can truly understand until you go there yourself and get under that water for some time. You have no idea. Much love to Fall Creek Falls and the beautiful drive getting there.

This stop definitely deserved an updated review on my part! My first visit here was in February…read moresnow, but this weekend my experience here was so much better. Rushing wide falls, but it was the setting that I found particularly stunning. Crystal clear waters above the falls, and a simply gorgeous forest surround. Really a serene stop. There's a decent amount of parking only steps from the falls (with vault toilet) and a tiny campground as well.

Cool waterfall, very short east accessible hike. East access off the main road. Definitely easy to…read moreadd to your list of waterfalls

Hidden about 45 minute outside of Crater Lake National Park in the tiny town of Prospect lies Mill…read moreCreek Falls and the Avenue of the Boulders. The space features a short hike with waterfall views and access to large boulders and parts of the beautiful Rogue River. I stopped here on the way back from Crater Lake National Park. The turnoff from the highway is easy to miss. In fact, I missed it myself and had to turn back around in the middle of the road. There's a small parking lot with a highly degraded trail map and a few portable restrooms near the beginning of the trailhead. The hike is pretty short, I'd say less than 2 miles round trip. You start off on a flat path that will take you to a two-way intersection. If you bear left, the trail will lead you the Rogue River and the Avenue of the Boulders. And if you bear right, the trail continues to two separate viewpoints; Barr Creek Falls and Mill Creek Falls. I decided to hit the falls first. The hike is pretty easy with gentle rolling inclines. It's entirely shaded by big beautiful trees. The first waterfall in view will be Mill Creek Falls. These falls absolutely stunning! They were flourishing in late fall. The second set of falls is just a short walk up a some log steps. This is where you'll find Barr Creek Falls. These falls weren't as robust as Mill Creek Falls, but they were still very charming. You'll also get a glimpse of the beautiful Siskiyou forest in the backdrop. On the way back, I headed down the other way toward the Avenue of the Boulders. I've been to the Avenue of the Giants before in Humboldt County, but the the Avenue of the Boulders are a completely different experience. They're comprised of huge boulders, many of which you can climb to get a better view of the falls and the Rogue River that flows down below. Simply one of the most gorgeous sights that I've ever seen! The Rogue River is so comforting and calming. This a total relaxation spot. A place where you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the view. Enjoy the sounds and sights of the river flowing beneath your feet. It's truly endearing. Who would have thought that something this beautiful could be hidden away in a small town just outside of Crater Lake? It's so amazing and yet still extremely secluded. If you're coming up to Crater Lake, a visit to Mill Creek Falls and be Avenue of the Boulders should definitely be added to your list.

Gorgeous and easy hike out to some boulders or a set of waterfalls. This seasons rain and snow melt…read moremade the rivers flow violently with water, producing amazing cascades of water for the falls. It's a downward hike and you don't notice it until the hike back out, but it's fairly easy and short so it's a great little stop over for a worthwhile view. The map etched in wood in the parking lot gives a good overlook of the area. Definitely head to the right side and see the falls.

Trail, falls, and day use area along OR138 (with toilets). You can park at the decent sized…read moretrailhead or across the highway at the day use area that's set on the river. The trail up is through the burn zone on a well-maintained mostly flat path that zig-zags to the falls. While not one of the more spectacular falls you'll encounter on this road, it's accessible to most anyone.

In A Nutshell: -The…read moreSusan Creek Campground is a cool place to check out b/c of the background is spectacular. -The Tioga Bridge is also located here & if you walk across it & look down at the North Umpqua River, you'll instantly feel refreshed & at peace. -Southern Oregon in general is such an awesome place to visit during the summer months, the weather is much like California. Overall, this is a nice place to check out, I bet the camping rocks.

2 mi, 423 elevation gain, 56 minutes to complete…read more Small snowfield to cross if you start at watchman overlook. If you come from discovery point it would be longer but you would avoid any of the snow crossings. Totally worth the hike- one of the most amazing views in the park especially at sunrise or sunset! Lots of different wildflowers along the way and panoramic views. There is a cute fire lookout that appears to no longer be in use at the top.

I'd like to talk about not just hiking to Watchman Peak, but also the roadside pullover here at…read moreWatchman Overlook. So yes...there are 2 purposes for stopping at this Watchman Area. The Overlook from the rim and hiking the trail to Watchman Peak. This section of Crater Lake is deserving of 5 stars because...when driving around the 33 mile rim encompassing all of Crater Lake (although the views can get quite repetitive and monotonous)...the BEST APPEARANCES OF CRATER LAKE COMES FROM HERE AT WATCHMAN PEAK!!! That's what makes Watchman Overlook so worthwhile. Because the roadside emergence of not just Crater Lake, but the main centerpiece attraction to it all known as Wizard Island is the closest and most prevalent you'll find throughout the park. Watchman Overlook was the best observation viewpoint I can remember from my time spent at Crater Lake. Wizard Island sort of smacked me in the face through my camera lens...I was able to photograph Crater Lake in it's majestic entirety from the viewpoint. Whereas, many of the significantly less roadside Crater Lake stops can just be ordinary especially when you're pulled over far away from Wizard Island. Then the scenery was really a letdown. For instance, when you're on the other side of the lake near Phantom Ship, when I exited my car to look upon Crater Lake, it was like glancing into the abyss of some large sized lake of water, without any focal points (like Wizard Island) and without any meaningful blue coloring to it. I was expecting turquoise blue around the lake and never found it. Even at the main hub of activity in Rim Village featuring Sinnott Overlook, the Crater Lake Lodge, Garfield Peak Trail, and even along Discovery Point Trail....I never received that fulfilling/humbling "wow moment" that completely blew me away in comparison to the sights and scenery I uncovered here at Watchman Overlook and Peak. Regardless...back to what makes Watchman Peak Overlook one of the most worthy of roadside stops at Crater Lake... - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND VISITING HERE IN THE AFTERNOON TIME! Yes this is SO IMPORTANT because from here at Watchman Overlook the sun starts to set from your backside. So...you get the sun reflecting onto Crater Lake and it affords you the most clear and concise perspectives for taking pictures! If you arrive in the morning, the sun will hit you in the opposite (in your face) direction and then you may be stuck with those annoying shadows! - After observing Crater Lake from the rim overlook area....off to the right hand side you'll find the hike to Watchman Lookout Trail. This path will take you to the apex of the rim's edge for uninterrupted views of Crater lake. This Watchman Lookout Trail isn't hard. There'll be a sign/trailhead stating that the Lookout Tower is 0.8 mile to the top. That's 1.6 miles round trip and it's an elevation gain of about 450 feet - I'd say a moderate level of difficulty, but it's overall less than 1 mile. - This Watchman Lookout Trail to the Lookout Tower is certainly recommended because there's not many hikes to even traverse at Crater Lake. I found Crater Lake to be more of just a roadside get out of your car kind of park. So...might as well take advantage of a little hiking opportunity while here...especially since the views around this Watchman Peak area are some of the most scenic in the park! - Along the 0.8 mile...there's not much to view, just switchbacks making your way to the top. From this Watchman Peak Lookout Tower, the appearance of Crater Lake was just as good as the roadside view (there wasn't much difference in my opinion) but still, I'd recommend grabbing a couple of photos from high atop here. - During this summer pandemic of 2020, the Lookout Tower was closed. So, in the end...you just have a small viewpoint to pier down on and admire Crater Lake with of course Wizard Island being so photogenic as well. I truly believe you won't find superior angles/perspectives of Crater Lake and Wizard Island anywhere else in the park other than being here at the rim's Watchman Overlook and at the pinnacle of Watchman Peak Trail Lookout Tower. Capture as many pictures as possible during your time here because the views won't get any better.

What a fun labyrinth of different kinds of hiking trails, ranging in degrees of difficulties…read more There's something for everyone. We came here with our two friends each of them having a little one strapped to their backs. Our dog Momo was also part of the group and she particularly loved this walk. At the time we were her in late spring (end of May), we were able to see still lots of wild flowers, but my friend mentioned that Renee were even more a few weeks earlier. The trails are mostly leading through forest area and so you're in the shade most of the time. We took a trail that led us to the peak and we were able to enjoy lovely views over the valley. Note: there's lots of poison oak here. If you have small kids with you, remind them to be vigilant.

This is such an amazing place! There are so many trails at different experience levels. They're all…read morekept up very well too. It even provides maps at the head/parking lot and there are benches/places to rest intermittently. Such tranquility! It's well worth visiting!

I feed and take care of fish for a living, so when I'm visiting back home on vacation, what do I…read morewant to do....well, go look at and feed more fish!! Our Fish Hatchery out in Forth Klamath is a great place to go for an afternoon, enjoy the scenery, and look at the fish! The best part is they have quarter machines with fish food in them, and you can put your quarter in and get a handful of food to feed the fish! When you drive in, they have lots of parking right in front of some of their raceways, and just to the right of the parking area is one of their quarter fish-food machines. Just beyond the food machine is a nice deck out on Crooked Creek with a deep hole where large trout hang out and you can feed them. When we were there, most of the fish in the creek were Rainbows, and most all were well over 12"...and of course its posted, NO FISHING! These guys were fun to feed, and came right up to the surface for the food. A great place for pictures too, this area is really scenic with the creek running through. Walking back to the hatchery area, they have their "show pond" if you walk farther on up. Another fish feeding machine is here, and this creek area is stocked full of fish about 12" long, again from what I could see they looked like all Rainbows. There were SO MANY FISH here!! Really cool to see, and these guys really went after the food! You could walk all up and down this area and there were fish everywhere, very cool! Coming to the end of the "show pond" area, there were a few other waterways, and in the back there were covered raceways with fingerlings in them, just little guys! It was neat to see all the fish, and walk around the grounds as well. Back in the front by the parking area there is a little information kiosk as well that tells you about the hatchery and the lakes they stock with fish. This is a great place to spend an afternoon, and I highly recommend it. Its really fun to come out here, watch and feed the fish, and learn a little bit about hatcheries as well....educational, informative, and FUN!! A+!!!

We love this place. Lots of fun for old to young. Interesting informative information and tons of…read morefish from tiny fry in the grow outs to HUGE HUGE HUGGGEEE trophy sized in the river with the dock.