Toketee Falls, Oregon
A short hike, two perfect tiers of basalt, and some of the clearest water in Oregon.
Toketee Falls proves you don’t need to trek into wilderness to find the state’s most photogenic waterfall.
Just follow the North Umpqua River until you hear the double roar. Here are more interesting facts about this 120-foot wonder.
They almost named it Ireland Falls in 1916
Toketee Falls nearly ended up as “Ireland Falls” or “Toketie Falls” in 1916 when the United States Board on Geographic Names made their decision. They picked “Toketee,” which comes from Chinook Jargon, a language native peoples used to talk between different tribes.
It means “pretty” or “graceful,” which is funny since the falls only became gentle after humans changed them. You’ll hear forest rangers say it as “TOHK-uh-tee.”
The naming debate papers are still in the National Archives, showing all three names got equal votes before the final choice was made.
The giant pipe is made from California trees
You’ll spot a huge 12-foot wide wooden pipe at the trailhead that surprises most visitors. Workers built this redwood pipeline in 1949 for the North Umpqua Hydroelectric Project, and it still powers three turbines that give electricity to 22,500 Douglas County homes.
Water often leaks from the seams, making small waterfalls along the pipe. The pipeline runs exactly 1,500 feet from Toketee Lake before changing to concrete and going into a tunnel. The wood came from old California redwoods shipped to Oregon just for this project.
Even though it’s over 75 years old, the wooden structure still works with only minor fixes since they put it in.
You’re only seeing 15% of the waterfall’s power
What you see at Toketee Falls today isn’t its natural state – humans have changed it. The North Umpqua River has been diverted for power plants, sending most of the water around the falls.
The river basin above Toketee Falls covers 335 square miles and normally flows between 400 and 800 cubic feet per second. Only 65-75 cubic feet per second—just 15% of the river’s natural flow—goes over the falls now.
Before they built the dam in 1949, Toketee Falls was a roaring, unpredictable waterfall that could reach over 1,500 cubic feet per second during heavy rains and snowmelt.
A temporary post office served dam workers
Toketee Falls had its own post office for just four years, from 1952 to 1956, while workers built the PacifiCorp power plant. This short-lived post office helped the workers and engineers who constructed the huge hydroelectric project.
It sat in a simple wooden building that also worked as a general store for the construction camp. More than 200 workers lived in temporary housing near the falls during the busiest construction time.
A contract driver brought mail from Roseburg three times a week. After the project finished, they took down the building and moved all postal records to the Diamond Lake Post Office.
A hidden third waterfall tier exists upstream
Most people don’t know that Toketee Falls actually has three parts, not just the two you can see from the viewing platform.
While you can spot the 85-foot lower drop and 28-foot upper falls, there’s a third section hidden up the narrow channel of giant potholes above the main falls.
This secret upper part drops another 15 feet through a series of small cascades. Only expert hikers who come from trails upstream can catch a glimpse of it.
Surveyors found this formation in 1947 during the hydroelectric project studies, but most tourist guides don’t mention it. Local native tribes knew about the third tier long before written records, and it appears in their stories passed down for generations.
Someone died trying to reach the bottom
Even though it’s not allowed, people have created an unofficial trail to the falls’ base. Visitors have bent and broken the fence around the viewing platform, ignoring many warning signs.
This has caused serious safety problems – in 2018, a 22-year-old visitor died after falling 75 feet while trying to reach the bottom. After this tragedy, the Forest Service put up more warning signs and stronger fencing in 2019.
Rangers now check the area more often, especially in summer, and can give out fines up to $500 if you go past the fence.
The Forest Service keeps saying no to requests for official access to the pool, despite pressure from photography groups.
Lava formed the columns 750,000 years ago
Those amazing hexagon-shaped rock columns around Toketee Falls have an interesting story.
They formed when ancient lava from Cascade Range volcanoes cooled slowly and cracked into six-sided columns, creating the waterfall’s special amphitheater-like canyon.
These basalt columns formed exactly 750,000 years ago from lava that came from openings north of Mount Bailey. Each column measures about 24 inches across and can be up to 120 feet tall.
The basalt has lots of iron and magnesium, which gives it the dark color you see. Scientists study these formations to understand volcano activity throughout the Cascade Range, with Toketee offering some of the best-preserved examples in the region.
Adventurers first descended the canyon in 2015
Despite being famous for a long time, Toketee Falls wasn’t fully explored until recently.
The first complete trip down through Toketee Falls gorge only happened on October 3, 2015, when five adventurers named Evan Topinka, Luca Chiarabini, Tiffanie Lin, Dan Kinler, and Adam DiPietro did it.
While kayakers had gone down the final falls before, this was the first time people navigated the entire canyon system. The team spent 14 months planning their trip, even making special gear for the unique conditions.
Their journey took 8 hours and 23 minutes to finish, requiring rope skills and careful water navigation.
During their expedition, they found and documented several previously unmapped features, including six new potholes you can’t see from the regular trails.
Volcanic minerals make the water blue-green
That eye-catching blue-green color in the pool at the bottom of Toketee Falls isn’t just pretty—it’s science at work.
The falls drop from a narrow rock slot into a large blue-colored pool, and this special color comes from minerals dissolved in the water plus the pool’s depth.
The water contains high amounts of silicon dioxide and copper sulfate that leach out of the volcanic rock around it. The pool goes down 32 feet at its deepest point, creating perfect conditions for that vivid blue color.
Water samples that Oregon State University researchers collected in 2021 showed the pool stays at 48°F year-round, even though air temperatures change by over 70 degrees with the seasons.
Rocks and sand drill holes in the riverbed
You’ll find some unusual rock formations in the water basin at Toketee Falls that most visitors never notice.
As water swirls around, sand, gravel, and boulders work like natural drills, slowly wearing down the hard volcanic rock bed.
Some of these potholes measure over 6 feet across and 8 feet deep, formed over thousands of years of erosion. The biggest known pothole, which geologists nickname “The Cauldron,” sits just upstream of the upper falls and measures 12 feet across.
These potholes grow at a rate of about 1 millimeter per year, making them valuable time markers for geologists. Scientists have identified at least 24 different potholes throughout the canyon system.
A town of 500 people once lived here
For a short time, Toketee Falls had its own community during the hydroelectric project construction. This temporary town housed up to 500 workers at its busiest point in 1954, complete with dining halls, recreation areas, and even a small school for workers’ kids.
They had a 20-bed medical facility with two full-time nurses and a visiting doctor. The construction camp spread over 15 acres with 72 family homes and 8 dormitories for single workers.
After construction ended in 1956, they took down all buildings as part of Pacific Power’s agreement with the Forest Service. Aerial photos from 1957 show the area had been completely restored to its natural state, with only the powerhouse and pipeline remaining.
The water flow is controlled to the gallon
The steady, picture-perfect flow you see at Toketee Falls is just a small part of the river’s actual volume.
The North Umpqua River normally flows between 400 and 800 cubic feet per second, but the falls now get just 65-75 cubic feet per second—only 15-20% of the river’s natural flow.
They control this flow with amazing precision, varying by less than 2 cubic feet per second throughout the year. Computer systems at the dam maintain this steady flow by adjusting water release every 30 minutes based on measurements.
Before regulation, the falls would surge to over 1,200 cubic feet per second during spring runoff, looking dramatically different.
They’ve kept the exact same flow pattern since electronic controls were installed in 1987.
Your trip up has different steps than down
The trail to Toketee Falls has a carefully counted number of stairs that gives you a unique hiking experience.
According to the sign at the trailhead, you’ll climb exactly 97 steps up and 125 steps down to reach the viewing platform.
This uneven number means your return trip feels quite different from your walk in. Workers originally put in the wooden steps in 1962 and completely rebuilt them in 2009 using sustainable cedar wood from within 50 miles.
The stairs follow the original route made by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935. Trail designers purposely created different step counts to reduce erosion by spreading foot traffic across different parts of the hillside.
Visiting Toketee Falls
Toketee Falls sits in Umpqua National Forest, 58 miles east of Roseburg on Highway 138. Turn onto Toketee-Rigdon Road at milepost 58.6, cross the bridge, and turn left to the parking area.
- Trail: 0.8-mile round trip, 200-foot elevation gain
- Facilities: Vault toilets, picnic tables, no water
- Access: Year-round, dawn to dusk, no fees
- Parking: Limited to 10 vehicles
Dogs allowed on leash. Stay on the official trail and viewing platform for safety.
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