McKenzie River Trail

The McKenzie River Trail is my new favorite area to explore. The spectacular 26-mile trail follows the McKenzie River from its headwaters at Clear Lake in the Cascade Mountain range. It  is located 2.5 hours southeast of Portland, towards central Oregon. In case I didn't mention it in my previous post from Sunriver, last year's devastating Beachie Creek Fire has reconfigured the journey to this area; lush evergreen forests along Highway 22 have vanished into smoke. Pray for new growth and prevention of future wildfires.

On Monday morning, I arrived at Clear Lake, which was created from a lava flow that dammed the McKenzie River 3,000 years ago. The Great Spring is the source of the river, where water percolates up from lava rock below and forms a beautiful pool before flowing out into the lake. From the day use area, I picked up the trail winding south along the lake shore. I caught glimpses of the lake through the trees during the 1-mile forest stroll. A footbridge crosses the lake's outlet where the river heads south. I turned right at the junction with the McKenzie River Trail, but would complete the entire 5-mile lake loop next time; perhaps on a clear, autumn day. 

Despite the fires, the upper part of the McKenzie River Trail is very lush and picturesque, which includes Clear Lake, Sahalie and Koosah Falls. Some of the most rewarding places on the quiet west bank are along ice-blue sections of the river, where tumbling cascades drop through a dark and mossy forest corridor.

  

Koosah Falls offer different profiles throughout the year. In the driest months, there are two separate streams of water, while at full spate, the waterfall appears as a single 70' wide plunge. 

  

The McKenzie River Trail has several trailheads, which provide many options for hiking to various areas. With the car at the lake, I continued hiking south to find that the river disappears underground for a few miles. This part is hot, dry and less scenic than the upper section, though still mostly flat and narrow. However, the terrain becomes easier to trail run compared to the uneven roots and rocks further up.

After a few miles, I arrived at Tamolitch Pool. 1,600 years ago, the Belknap Crater belched a lava flow that filled the McKenzie River valley for several miles. The river then carved its way over and under the rock to plunge over a 50' waterfall into Tamolitch Pool, also known as the Blue Pool. These days, Tamolitch Falls only flows at times of exceptional rainfall or snow melt, but the pool continues to be a popular destination.

From the cliffs above the Blue Pool, the McKenzie pours through the underground channels into the cold and crystal clear oasis. The pool is 30' deep in the middle, but appears deceptively shallow. Water temperatures vary between 37 and 42 degrees. The lip of the dry falls can be reached by a quick scramble, and the shore of the pool can be accessed by a short descending path.

I eventually doubled back, and turned right at the junction with the Waterfalls Trail, which follows the east bank and offers a different view of the upper falls. Note that this section can also get crowded on weekends.

 

In total, I hiked about almost 13 miles (900' gain) in 3.5 hours. In the future, I want to set up a shuttle to complete the entire trail from north to south, either via backpack or trail run. Note that this track is also frequented by mountain bikers.

Back at Clear Lake, I couldn't leave before taking my paddle board out for a spin; easily the most beautiful place that I've paddled to date.