This popular trail gets quite busy, especially on weekends and during the summer. It doesn’t really work if you take it once you’re already queasy. If you get car sick, make sure to take car sickness prevention medication before your drive. Much of the road to the Drift Creek Falls trailhead is windy and narrow. I recommend downloading the map in case you lose service in the hills. You can google directions to the Drift Creek Falls trailhead, which is trail 1378. Details to hike Drift Creek Falls, Oregonĭrift Creek Falls is about 40 minutes inland from Lincoln City, OR. Even bear and cougar call these forests home, though they steer clear of well trafficked trails like Drift Creek Falls in Oregon. Old and new combine for a healthy ecosystem, making habitat for birds, salamanders, deer and elk. The branches almost weave together-and may even make a bit of an umbrella if it rains!Īs you walk along the Drift Creek Falls trail, you’ll pass old growth trees as well as newer growth. That’s partly because the trees grow close together, creating an insulating bubble for the ground below. You also might notice that the forests along the Oregon Coast don’t fluctuate much in temperature. That means more sunlight and less competition. They grow on the fallen logs, since they end up growing a bit higher up than the plants on the forest floor. That’s because mosses, ferns, fungi and even new trees use these “nurse logs” for habitat. The forest district leaves old, fallen timber in the forest (only cutting off sections that block the trail).
Keep an eye out for seedlings growing on fallen logs.
#BRIDGE WATERFALL OREGON FULL#
These pristine areas are full of ferns, Doug firs, cedar, wildflowers and so much more. The Oregon Coast Range is covered in dense forest. You’ll catch a better view of the falls down there. Once you’re on the other side, hike down toward the creek. The movement as you walk across the bridge is actually part of its structural design, allowing it to stay standing even in the wind or if a group of hikers with a death wish stomp across behind you.Īs you cross the bridge walking in the direction away from the trailhead, you’ll see the waterfall to your right. The suspension bridge is sturdy-and it sways. (Though OMG if you’re on the bridge with 12 ferocious dinosaurs best of luck to you.) It looks sturdy, and it is: The bridge can hold 165,000 pounds-that’d be about 12 T Rexes. The Drift Creek Falls suspension bridge runs 240 feet above a river 100 feet below. That doesn’t mean it’s less than spectacular! Only a few dozen suspension bridges exist in Oregon, and Drift Creek Falls is one of the most easily accessible. If it looks like too small a stream to result in a dramatic waterfall, that’s because it is! Several creeks and underwater streams combine to cascade over the 75-foot-high waterfall. The Drift Creek Falls trail crosses a burbling creek. That said, you’ll want to keep an eye out for roots sticking up through the ground. So aside from a few gradual ups and downs, it’s overall a flat and easy hike. It’s an out-and-back trail with less than 500 feet elevation gain. The Drift Creek Falls trail runs just under 3 miles round-trip. What else we needed, apparently: A good laugh at how yours truly nearly peed her leggings while walking across a suspension bridge swaying 100 feet over a narrow canyon below. We may or may not have drunk too much champagne the night before, so fresh air and some exercise was just what we needed. Not too long ago, a group of girlfriends and I hiked Drift Creek Falls together. The next time you’re near the Oregon Coast and Lincoln City, make a short detour to the Drift Creek Falls trail. Oregon trails are known for their beauty, but not many have a dramatic suspension bridge hanging above a river! Add in a waterfall and you have an unforgettable hike. This 3-mile out and back hike to a dramatic suspension bridge is easy enough for older kids, and it’s just a 40-minute drive from the Oregon Coast. But unlike other famous Oregon hikes, Drift Creek Falls isn’t super-long or super-hard. One of the most breathtaking hikes in Oregon is the Drift Creek Falls trail near Lincoln City.
0 kommentar(er)
