Toketee Falls

A quick, up-and-down jaunt through an old-growth forest of Douglas fir, big leaf maple, western red cedar, and Pacific yew finishes at an elevated viewing platform overlooking the 113-foot Toketee Falls. The North Umpqua River falls 28 feet before plummeting another 85 feet over a wall of volcanic columnar basalt. The view can simply be described as graceful and pretty, which is exactly what the word Toketee means in Chinook. While the final descent of some 100 steps may be strenuous for some, this scenic trek is short enough that it's still appropriate for hikers of all ages. Prior to the plunge, the waters build up power as they push through the narrow gorge they've carved over the millennia. Along the way the aquatic forces have even sculpted an upstream pothole (a cylindrical or bowl-shaped crater beneath the water's surface) that is visible from a riverside viewpoint. Once you return to the trailhead, you can't miss the redwood-stave wooden pipeline that runs the length of the parking lot. The flowline is 12 feet in diameter and part of the North Umpqua Hydroelectric Project, a post-World War II work project completed in December 1949. The project still provides water from Toketee Lake to three generator turbines, which in turn supplies enough energy to power about 22,500 homes in Douglas County.