Oregon Hiking | Oregon Hiking

HIGHWAY OF WATERFALLS

UMPQUA RIVER SCENIC BYWAY

Activity: Day Hike, Scenic Views, Chasing Waterfalls

Date: September 18, 2025

Pursuing Balance Thru Adventure
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Watson Falls
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I was on my road trip from SoCal to the Pacific Northwest, which took me to many extraordinary places and certainly the Highway of Falls aka the Rogue-Umpqua River Scenic Byway was one such spot,

If you are going to be chasing waterfalls Highway 138 needs to be on your list. I was Westbound after traveling down Highway 97 from Bend Oregon. As far as the Highway of Waterfalls, my first stop was Clearwater Falls and the second was White Horse Falls.

Stop number three was one of the highest waterfalls in the state of Oregon, Watson Falls. The water crashes a short distance from the upper falls before plummeting 294′ over the edge, free falling to the rocks below.

It is a short hike to the falls. I passed through an old growth forest of Douglas Fir and Western Hemlock along the path adorned with lush greenery and vibrant ferns. The path was a bit steep in places gaining 374′ in elevation. The bubbling sound of the creek and the background noise of the falls added to the enchantment of this place.

When you reach the base of the beautiful falls you are greeted with mist, moss a site to behold.

“Mesmerized by the beauty of this incredible waterfall cascading peacefully down a moss-covered cliff deep in the forest. The sound of rushing water and the glow of sunlight filtering through the trees make it feel like stepping into a dream of pure Pacific Northwest serenity.” – Matt Swack

I appreciate you chasing waterfalls with me in lovely Umpqua National Forest. Waterfalls like Watson Falls brings about a feeling of peace and tranquility. It is such a wonderful feeling that you want to do it again and again. Luckily for me I was in the perfect place for that as Oregon’s Highway of Waterfalls does just that, presents one after another. “Ya’ just gotta’ luv’ it!” The reason my labor of love, that I call ‘Pursuing Balance Thru Adventure’, exists is to inspire you to find an adventure that can ignite the passion of your soul, while you stretch your legs, feel the light spray from the waterfall on your face, and drink in all that Mother Nature has blessed us with… A good way to get started is to FOLLOW, SHARE, COMMENT, and LIKE. If you are ready to find an adventure there are plenty to inspire in the menu above. Each of the locations is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED Independently. Yes, that is a PBTA cap upon my head. You can buy one at SHOP APPAREL along with various Adventure Wear items. Be sure to check them out.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

BALD HILL NATURAL AREA

NEAR CORVALLIS, OREGON

Activity: Sight Seeing, Nature Walk

3 mile, elevation gain 328’, rated Moderate

The Bald Hill Natural Area in the Corvallis area is a community treasure. It is not something that you would go out of your way to partake in, but if you live in the area it is fantastic.

As an alumni of Oregon State University I returned to campus for the first time since my graduation to attend an event at my fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha. It was awesome to be back on campus, see my fraternity brothers, and take a walk down memory lane. The campus is beautiful and I got to checkout the “new to me” stadium as we all attended the Football game.

I stayed with my fraternity brother, Oregon hiking buddy and good friend Bruce Petersen. Being hikers we of course needed to fit in at least a little hike. Bruce introduced me to his local Corvallis hike in the Bald Hill Trail System.

It was so fun to be out in the country even if it was along a paved bike trail, but lo and behold I discovered that that this natural area had a little bit of something for everyone.

It could be an easy hike or a little more moderate as we went off onto an actual dirt trail with some little switchbacks. I loved the tree cover with a variety of different types of vegetation. We even enjoyed wild berries for a snack.

So in summary Bald Hill Trail System is fun in a variety of ways road and mountain bikers, walkers, horses and hikers all enjoy nice views of the Willamette Valley and Coast Range Mountains.

Thanks to my good friend and fraternity brother Bruce for sharing his great local spot. We enjoyed this nature hike in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Much appreciation to our readers for joining us at ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’. If you liked the post then take a second and COMMENT, LIKE, FOLLOW and SHARE. If you glance up at the menu you will see that PBTA goes to many different locations. You might just find a few to put on your to-do list. Please note that each locations is a separate site and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. For the very best quality adventure gear, as pictured stop by PBTA’s SHOP APPAREL.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Pursuing Balance through Adventure