Profile

Overview

Location: Hot Springs Fork of the Collawash River near Bagby Hot Springs, Mount Hood National Forest, Clackamas County
Waterfall Type: Horsetail (wide)
Height: 21 feet (6 m), about 50 feet wide
Trail Distance: About 0.2 miles round trip on a short, unmarked path from Forest Road 70
Difficulty: Easy, with a steep final scramble to the fenced viewpoint
Best Time to Visit: Late spring through early fall, when the forest roads are clear of snow

History & Background

Pegleg Falls sits on the Hot Springs Fork of the Collawash River, less than a mile from the trailhead for Bagby Hot Springs, one of Oregon’s most famous backcountry soaking spots. Most people drive right past it on their way to the hot springs, because thick forest hides the falls from the road.

What makes Pegleg unusual is the fish ladder carved straight into the bedrock beside it. On one side of the falls, the rock was blasted out to give salmon and steelhead a way past the drop. The ladder diverts a good share of the river, which is hardly noticeable in spring but leaves the falls noticeably smaller by late summer. Below the falls, a wide pool ringed with flat rocks makes a quiet summer swimming hole.

The upper Collawash country burned in the 2020 Riverside Fire, and the Bagby area was closed for a time afterward. Bagby Hot Springs reopened in 2024 and is now run by Bagby Preservation. Expect fire-scarred forest along parts of the drive.

Geology

The Hot Springs Fork drops over a broad, solid bedrock ledge at Pegleg Falls, spreading into a wide, smooth horsetail rather than a narrow plunge. The rock here belongs to the older, deeply eroded volcanic layers of the western Cascades, which is the same country that gives rise to the hot water at Bagby a short way upstream. The fish ladder cut into this hard rock is a good close-up look at how resistant the ledge is.

Directions & Access

Nearest City: Estacada, about 39 miles by road.
- From Estacada, follow Highway 224 east about 25 miles to Ripplebrook, where it becomes Forest Road 46. Continue 3.5 miles and turn right on Forest Road 63 (Collawash Road). After 3.5 miles, turn right on Forest Road 70 (Bagby Road) and drive about 5.5 miles to the falls.
Trail Info: Park at the small pullout on the south side of FR 70 near the road’s bridge over Blister Creek. A short user path leads down toward the river; the falls are just upstream, with a fenced viewpoint at the cliff edge. Watch your footing on wet rock.
Parking: A small roadside pullout fits about three cars. No fee is listed for the falls itself. The Bagby Hot Springs trailhead nearby charges $5 per person, plus a cash soaking fee.
Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible. The path is short but uneven and steep near the end.
Road conditions: The Forest Service warns that rockfall and landslides are common on Forest Roads 46 and 63, and that phone map apps often give wrong directions here. Use the forest road numbers above.

Best Time to Visit

Spring: The fullest flow of the year once the roads open, usually by April or May.
Summer: The swimming hole season. The fish ladder takes more of the reduced flow, so the falls are smaller.
Fall: Quiet and colorful. Pair it with a soak at Bagby before the roads close.
Winter: Snow often blocks the forest roads, and the Bagby site is unmaintained once roads become impassable. The Forest Service discourages driving in on snow.

Nearby Attractions

Blister Creek Falls: a 35-foot falls visible up Blister Creek from the FR 70 bridge, steps from Pegleg.
Bagby Hot Springs: historic cedar soaking tubs about 1.5 miles up an easy trail from the Bagby trailhead on FR 70.
Shower Creek Falls: a small falls a short walk past Bagby Hot Springs.
Ripplebrook and the Clackamas River: campgrounds, fishing and swimming along Highway 224.

References

Links:
Books:
- Waterfall Lover’s Guide: Pacific Northwest by Gregory Alan Plumb

Pegleg Falls