558 N. Main St., Prineville, OR 97754 | (541) 447-6205
Lower Proxy Falls drops over 100 feet to the valley floor.
Autumn isn’t over yet. There are still some spectacular displays of fall color left around Central Oregon. For my last outing, I headed over the Pacific Crest via McKenzie Pass to hike to Proxy Falls, located in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area of the Willamette National Forest. Hikers are rewarded with an easy 1.2-mile loop trail that leads to two sets of beautiful waterfalls plunging over 100 feet to the valley floor.
The vine maples growing in a lava field turn every shade of yellow, orange, and red. Huge Douglas fir trees and snags, black lava, and background cliffs add to the diversity and make for great photos. The first section of trail leads across a lava flow then heads under the canopy of an old growth forest, where colorful foliage can still be seen.
At the first intersection, a short side trail
Vine Maples along trail to Proxy Falls.
After returning to the trail, hike another quarter-mile to a second junction and turn right to Upper Proxy Falls. Here, visitors get to witness what appears to be a magic trick, or at least a mystery. All the water from the cascading falls empties into a large pool, but there is no outlet. Where does the water go? As with Linton Lake, it simply percolates through the underlying porous volcanic rock and resurfaces farther down the valley.
The trailhead parking can be crowded on weekends. The 1.2-mile loop stays mostly flat at an elevation of 3,200 feet. The short turnoffs to both falls are clearly marked and
Colorful vine maples on trail to Linton Lake.
Linton Lake
A large earthquake shook the Central Oregon Cascades. Lava began oozing from the base of North Sister and flowed down the drainage of White Branch Creek to the west. The flow continued for about 12 miles, jumping into the next drainage of Linton Creek and creating a dam.
A few thousand years later, I stand on the shores of Linton Lake and try to imagine the scene. The smoky, fiery lava bulldozing its way down the valley until it finally cools to a stop. Today, the lava dam clearly blocks the lake at the lake’s lower end. With no visible outlet, the water percolates through the lava and emerges farther down the valley.
Glaciers during the last Ice Age about 10,000 years ago carved out the steep U-shaped valley. Across the lake, Linton Falls can be heard tumbling off the high valley wall. Fish jump in the clear, cool water (fishing season on the lake ended Oct. 31) and the fall colors reflect off the surface.
The trail to the lake is just as impressing as the endpoint. From the trailhead on the Old McKenzie Highway, Linton Lake is an easy stroll through ancient old-growth Douglas fir and western hemlock. Vine maples and alders provide a brilliant contrast of yellow and red to the deep green forest.
The tall straight trees near the trailhead are about three to four feet in diameter. The understory consists of ferns, Oregon grape, and rhododendron. Moss-covered rocks line the trail. Red-breasted nuthatches and chestnut-backed chickadees make a light racket in the lower trees. The smell of autumn permeates the air.
After crossing the ancient lava flow, which is now a boulder field, the trail switchbacks down into old growth forest once again. The rumble of Linton Falls echoes from across the lake. Glimpses of the white veil can be seen tumbling off the forested slope. Look for the low point along the ridge to locate the falls. Shortly afterward, the glistening lake comes into view through the towering trees. I stop to examine the rings on one of the fallen logs cut from the trail. The tree is only about three feet in diameter and I count between 200 and 250 rings.
Springs seep out of the steep side hill and trickle down toward the lake. The trail remains above Linton Lake until reaching Obsidian Creek coming in from the east. Large cedar trees appear along the shore. Some hemlocks and firs reach six feet in diameter. After crossing a large fallen log over the creek, I walk down to a sandy beach. A flock of mergansers fly up and head for the opposite side of the lake. A great blue heron takes to the air like a fully-loaded cargo plane, slowly circling and climbing until it can clear the basin. The prints of fresh deer tracks are outlined in the wet sand.
The maintained trail ends at Obsidian Creek. Depending on the lake level, hikers can walk along the shoreline to where Linton Creek empties into the lake. To avoid the sometimes soggy and slippery bank, continue on a less maintained trail in the forest, but be prepared to climb over and under some big fallen trees. It’s 1.4 miles to the lake, another 0.5 to Obsidian Creek, then a rougher trail about 0.3 to Linton Creek. Average elevation along the trail is 3,500 feet. Total elevation gain/loss is about 300 feet.
To keep the area beautiful, hikers need to have some better ethics. Some litter could be seen along the way. Remember to bury human waste and toilet paper and carry out your trash. When nature calls, head away from lakes and streams. The entire hike is located within the Three Sisters Wilderness Area in the Willamette National Forest. A Northwest Forest Pass is needed to park at the trailhead. Hikers also need to fill out a wilderness permit at the trailhead station.
Visitors need not travel to Iceland to view a landscape formed by fire and ice or to New England to see spectacular displays of fall colors. A trip over McKenzie Pass to Linton Lake and Proxy Falls will not only be a lesson in geology, but also a great example of autumn’s magnificence.
Getting there:
From Sisters, take Highway 242 (Old McKenzie Highway) west to McKenzie Pass. From the pass, continue west 12 miles to the Linton Lake Trailhead. Proxy Falls Trailhead is 1.5 miles farther down the road. Use caution on the steep, narrow, twisting road. There’s no telling how much longer the highway over the pass will be open; it totally depends on when it starts snowing there. Keep an eye on the weather or call the Forest Service.
