Little River Waterfalls

I visited six different waterfalls located in the Umpqua National Forest and Roseburg BLM Land to the southeast of the town of Glide, Oregon.

Shadow Falls

Why you don't blindly follow your GPS -- If I had this morning, I would have turned and then driven through this 1940s-era covered bridge.

Cavitt Creek Bridge

While I would have had at least two feet of height clearance to spare, my van exceeds the weight allowance. Definitely not worth the risk. Fortunately, there was a bypass road a short distance further on that enabled me to continue to the trailhead.

A 1.6-mile hike took me along Cavitt Creek, out to the waterfall, and then back again.

Cavitt Creek

Shadow Falls has three tiers totaling 100 feet. Because it makes its way through a rock fracture, it was hard to see.

Shadow Falls

I found the rock formations around the creek and near the waterfall to be equally intriguing.

Weathered Bedrock Formation
(rocks stacked like toy blocks)

On my return to the trailhead, a bee or some other flying insect stung me on the right cheek. It seemed to come out of nowhere, I didn't hear it until it was right before it struck, I don't know where it went, and I didn't see any others before or after. Weird! The swelling and combination of burning, ache, and numbness are still there after two days.

Grotto Falls

A short uphill jaunt brought me to Grotto Falls. I imagine it is impressive during the rainy season.

Grotto Falls

Shower for Two
(view from behind the falls)

With the minimal waterflow, the concave cliff face stood out more prominently.

Cliff Face

Wolf Creek Falls

I hiked an easy 2.4 miles through Oregon greenery to see this two-tiered waterfall.

Little River
(at the trailhead)

Forest, Ferns & More

Common Selfheal in Bloom

Wolf Creek drops 75 feet at the upper tier, flows a short way over a slight decline, and then drops 50 feet at the lower tier. Because of its shape and the thick foliage, a photo that includes both tiers was impossible.

Upper Tier

Lower Tier

The next three waterfalls were all reached via trails that start at Lake-in-the-Woods Campground. While I was there, smoke from a distant wildfire began to blow in. The haze it produced prevented me from taking any distance photographs. The accompanying burnt smell made me leave as soon as I had seen the third waterfall.

Clover Falls

I hiked 2.5-miles out-and-back over undulating terrain and then followed a couple of creeks.

Small Waterfall on a Feeder Creek

Water Slides Down a Rock Slope

When I came to a spot where the waterfall was barely visible through the trees, I stepped off the main trail and went straight down the steep hillside. At Hemlock Creek in the bottom of the ravine, I picked my way upstream through branches and over moss-covered rocks and decomposing logs before arriving at the base of the secluded falls.