Was it worth it?
Yes. Though it wasn’t without issues.
Why we went to Tumalo Falls:
- I love waterfalls and we don’t have a lot of them (ok basically none where we live).
- It was close to Bend.
- It’s on just about every top “to-do” list in the area.
- Did I mention I love waterfalls?
What was Tumalo Falls like?
The trail starts off with a bang. Maybe 100 feet from the parking area you can see the 97-foot waterfall from a viewing platform. If you want, you can turn around get in your car and be off to the next adventure.
Of course, we wanted to keep going as there is a loop of 6-7 miles you can take. We read online the back half of the trail isn’t very scenic, so we decided to do two miles out and two back to see Double and Upper Falls before calling it a day.
We found out later we probably should have walked one additional mile to see more falls (turning around at the creek area) for maximum waterfall viewing.
As it was, the waterfalls we saw were great, with a caveat: the viewing areas get progressively worse. There are steep drop-offs and no railings past the first fall. That means you can’t always get the perfect angle, especially with trees covering some of the later falls.
The trail itself has minimal elevation (at least the part we went on) and wandered through a shady forest.
The Downsides of Tumalo Falls
By now you might be wondering, well if you love waterfalls and shady well-maintained paths, what’s the problem? Crowds. We dislike them greatly (don’t most people?). We arrived on a Tuesday at 8:40 a.m. and got the last parking spot in the lot. Now granted the lot is small, but it was a Tuesday.
By the time we were done hiking just two hours later, the parking lot was full, people were blocking the area so no one could leave, and the gravel road leading to the area was backed up for what seemed like over a mile.
The trail is shared with mountain bikers (most of whom were respectful), some hikers with dogs off-leash and people who generally seem to have no self-awareness of those around them.
It’s not lost on me that influencers and the internet have ruined places like this, and here I am writing about it. The era of word-of-mouth has been long gone, and in it’s place is the chaos of sharing the trail with many others. In that spirit, I share how to avoid some of the pain.
How to make Tumalo Falls more enjoyable
- Come early. Seriously, even on a weekday. We got there at 8:40 a.m.; next time I’d aim to be done at 8:40 a.m, and that means we’re getting there by 6:30 a.m.
- Try backing into a spot if you can, it’ll make it far easier to get out later.
- Expect shade. If you go in the morning, your photos will likely be shadowed, but the relative solitude will be worth it.
- Consider going all the way to the Middle Fork Tumalo Creek before turning around for maximum waterfalls, though our turnaround of Upper Falls was a good compromise.
- Be prepared with patience if you arrive late.
- Know that you have to drive up a gravel road to reach the trailhead. It was passable for sedans (at least in the summer; we’ve heard it snows up there a lot in the winter).
Would we go back?
Probably not. It was a nice trail, but it was so crowded. Maybe in the winter if the snow wasn’t too bad and the crowds were gone. Regardless, we’re glad we went and we do think it’s worth it.