Overview

• Location: Lane County, Siuslaw Falls Park (Siuslaw River, near Mapleton)

• Waterfall Type: Cascade

• Height: ~10 feet (3 m)

• Trail Distance: ~0.5 miles round-trip via easy trail from Siuslaw Falls County Park

• Difficulty: Easy

• Best Time to Visit: Year-round; best flow fall through spring

History & Background

Siuslaw Falls is a modest 10-foot cascade on the Siuslaw River near Mapleton in Lane County, within the Siuslaw Falls Park — a small county-managed recreation area along Oregon’s central Coast Range. The Siuslaw River is one of the central Oregon Coast’s most beloved waterways, designated a National Wild and Scenic River in its upper reaches and supporting exceptional wild salmon and steelhead runs throughout. Mapleton is a small community near the tidal head of the Siuslaw, serving as a gateway between the coastal communities and the forested upper watershed. The falls provide a pleasant natural feature accessible to visitors enjoying the Siuslaw River corridor, which has been inhabited by the Siuslaw and Lower Umpqua peoples for thousands of years.

Geology

Siuslaw Falls cascades over a low bedrock ledge on the Siuslaw River at approximately 80 feet elevation near Mapleton. The Siuslaw River flows through the ancient oceanic basalt of the Coast Range at this point, and the falls reflect a resistant bedrock threshold across the river channel. The surrounding riparian forest of red alder, bigleaf maple, and Sitka spruce is typical of the moist, low-elevation Oregon Coast Range.

Directions & Access

• Nearest City: Mapleton, OR (~3 miles west); Florence, OR (~20 miles west)

• Trail Information:

  • Easy trail from the Siuslaw Falls Park parking area leads along the river to the falls viewpoint; the path follows the scenic Siuslaw corridor through riparian forest

  • The Siuslaw River corridor is excellent for fishing, kayaking, and wildlife viewing; the falls are a natural centerpiece of this county park experience

• Parking:

  • Siuslaw Falls Park parking area; Lane County manages the site; day-use fee may apply

• Accessibility:

  • Short, mostly flat trail; generally accessible for most visitors

Best Time to Visit

• Spring: Good flows; spring salmon run in the Siuslaw; forest vivid green

• Summer: Lower flows; warm and popular for swimming and fishing

• Fall: Fall Chinook and steelhead; best fishing season; flows returning with October rains

• Winter: Highest flows; steelhead season; trail accessible year-round

Nearby Attractions

• Mapleton, Oregon

• Siuslaw River (Wild and Scenic)

• Florence (~20 miles west)

• Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (~25 miles west)

• Heceta Head Lighthouse

References

• Links:

  • Travel Oregon – Siuslaw River Corridor

  • Florence Area Chamber of Commerce

• Books:

  • Oregon Waterfalls by Greg Plumb

  • Waterfall Lover's Guide: Pacific Northwest