had to get out and do  something this weekend even if it was raining/hailing the whole time. i thought butte creek falls was close enough and low enough it would be an easy day. i was wrong. passing through silverton and even scotts mills it was sunny but cloudy, of coarse the second we got into the forest it was snowing and storming, off and on though at that. we ended up getting stuck in a ditch full of snow trying to get down to butte creek falls. we eventually got free with the help of a couple locals that were off roading and what not. we kept taking alternate routes to get to the creek but all roads lead into snowfilled ditches eventually we got a tip from the state policeman that was up there to check out abiqua falls because the roads to it were snow free.(he warned they were rocky and bumpy, he was right). we got to the fence he said we would and of coarse didnt find the trail (if i would have known about this trail before i went to it i would have known where to look) me and a buddy ended up sliding down a couple hundred foot water runoff that fooled us for a trail (possibly a deer trail) which we realized about halfway down that no one could ever expect that to be a trail, and of coarse we went up a different way than we came, i would have got pictures but it was hailing and we were soaking wet (and muddy) at this point. we managed to find out way back to the gate area and ended up finding the trail which when you get to the gate, is to the left of the road.


the trail is slippery but doable, up and down the river bank, no idea on the exact distance but it only took about 20 minutes to reach the fall and the huge ampitheatre that was well worth it.



 as we were leaving we actually saw a man coming in with his dog to get some photos.

first trip report sorry if its horrible i couldnt have my camera out because the weather and if i didnt do a great job explaining im multitasking at work, anyways its well worth it if your ever in the area and you could easily check out butte creek falls at the same time.

Great trip report!  It's always great to see people contributing.

It's particulalrly timely, as I was toying with headin down there this weekend. Looks like I'll need to wait for it warm up a bit.

Steve

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What do you suppose is around that next bend?

We encountered the same problem as you a few weeks ago: snow barring our way to Butte Creek Falls, but Abiqua Falls was fine. Glad you found the waterfall even without knowing where the trail was!

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Cheryl

Arg! I went there with the family about 2 months ago specifically to go to Abiqua. We got to the gate and started scouting around for the trail. We found something trailish, but we ran out of time before really making a go of it. Great pictures Aridd and Cheryl. It looks wonderfully photogenic down there.

Adam

I'm glad you found the falls, but I am concerned about  safety, both for you, and the safety of the trails.When we bushwack and go off-trail in wet weather, especially inadvertant sliding on mud, the land gets eroded, fragile flowers get smushed and displaced and  the "home" of the animals and bugs is turned topsy turvy. So... Please be careful where you step.
    Take the hiking book with you, so that if you do change destinations, you still have all the info. Even if there are 2 or 3 of you, always let someone at home know where you are going, and call them when you are back. If you change destinations mid way, have a cell phone update.
 To find open trails, look at where the groups are hiking.You don't have to go with them, but especially the more moderate hikes will be weather/snow level appropriate. Call a Ranger Station.This means pre-planning, since they are not open on the weekends during the winter. Look at trip reports here too. When it is cold and rainy here the east end of the Gorge is often rain-free and warmer. Judith

Does anyone have any info on the road to the falls?  Can we get a car in there or should we take 4-wheel drive?  When we were there, we made it past the last junction, following the directions in Greg Plumb's book, but as we got close, the gravel road got took a really sharp left turn on a very exposed steep hill.  It didn't look safe, so we parked our car nearby and began to walk.  We didn't have a real good feeling about the area, so we left without seeing the falls.  Also, it's a narrow, one-lane gravel road where we'd never be able to pass if needed.  Have you all been driving to the end of the gravel road to start your hike?

If it doesn't stop raining by Friday, we won't be going in there as it sounds like a slippery slope involving some scrambling and I don't like to contribute to the errosion.  I try to only hike those extra steep ones when it's dry.  Hiking in the mud only necessitates the rebuilding of trails like the one to Angel's Rest. 

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And the Lord said, "Escape to the mountains." Gen. 19:17.

Justpeachy recently prepared the Field Guide Entry.

Thanks, that helps.

While Doug Lorraine was the first to include this in his book, there's now 2 more books that can be added to the field guide which cover this.  Sullivan's latest NW Oregon book and Greg Plumb's 4th ed. waterfall book.

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And the Lord said, "Escape to the mountains." Gen. 19:17.

Thanks, Navigator. I added Sullivan's book to the field guide. I looked in Plumb's 4th ed. and didn't see Abiqua in there. He talks about nearby Butte Creek, but not Abiqua.

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Cheryl

So right.

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And the Lord said, "Escape to the mountains." Gen. 19:17.

I've also been doing some looking online about the location and how to get there, having not succeeded on our first attempt. There appears to be an alternate route that kayakers use. You essentially travel up Abiqua Road Northeast, follow a couple of turns and there is a half mile trail leading to the falls from a pullout. I was looking at this on google maps and it certainly seems feasible. I'll copy and paste the directions below. Has anybody heard of this route? I may check it out sometime this week and report back.

Take Out: Abiqua Road. From Oregon 99E in Salem, take Oregon 213 east to Silverton. Approximately 3 miles north of Silverton, is Abiqua Road Northeast where there is a blinking yellow light. Follow Abiqua Road southeast for 6.25 miles east to a concrete bridge over Abiqua Creek. Park in the turnout just upriver.

Put In: Abiqua Falls. From the take-out, continue upriver to the green steel bridge. Continue for 2 miles past the bridge, keeping right where the main road swings left. In another .2 miles, several driveways go in all directions. Head straight on what appears to be the main road. Three and a half miles later, there is a grassy pullout on the right. There is a half a mile long trail that leads to the base of the falls. The trail gets steep as it makes its way to the creek.

Navigator,

Please post when you make it out there. I would love to hear another account from somebody who has made it successfully.

 

Thanks,

 

Adam

Well, if the weather doesn't straighten up, we'll skip Abiqua Falls and go straight to Butte Creek.  I don't like taking a bunch of people (or even a few) down what sounds like a muddy scramble.  No fun for us, and no good for the "trail."

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And the Lord said, "Escape to the mountains." Gen. 19:17.

Navigator:

Well, if the weather doesn't straighten up, we'll skip Abiqua Falls and go straight to Butte Creek.  I don't like taking a bunch of people (or even a few) down what sounds like a muddy scramble.  No fun for us, and no good for the "trail."

 

Yep, understood.

Alexander/Navigator,

I tried going there once according to a whitewater kayakers website and ran into no trespassing signs, gates and dead ends. I'm pretty sure that Crooked Finger road is the best way to get there.

I suggest you try Shellberg Falls instead-lots of nice hiking there. Butte Creek Falls is nice, but it is a pretty short hike, and you have to drive through some really ugly clearcuts to get there.