Overview

• Location: Douglas County, Umpqua National Forest (Little River watershed, near Glide)

• Waterfall Type: Horsetail

• Height: ~60 feet (18 m)

• Trail Distance: ~1 mile round-trip via easy trail from Cavitt Creek Recreation Site

• Difficulty: Easy

• Best Time to Visit: Year-round; best flow winter and spring

History & Background

Yakso Falls is a beautiful 60-foot horsetail on the Little River near Glide in Douglas County, accessible from the Cavitt Creek Recreation Site along the Little River Road corridor south of the North Umpqua Highway. The name Yakso comes from the Chinook Jargon word for ‘hair,’ describing the falls’ fine, hair-like threads of water spreading across the basalt cliff face — a fitting visual metaphor for the falls’ spreading horsetail character. The Little River Road corridor south of Glide is one of the most underappreciated waterfall drives in western Oregon, with Yakso Falls, Wolf Creek Falls, Hemlock Falls, and Grotto Falls all accessible within a short distance from each other.

Geology

Yakso Falls drops 60 feet as a horsetail over a volcanic basalt cliff at approximately 1,100 feet elevation on the Little River near Glide. The Little River flows through the western Umpqua National Forest through older, eroded Western Cascades volcanic geology. The falls spread widely across the cliff face in fine threads — the characteristic texture that inspired the Chinook Jargon name — before collecting in a pool below. The surrounding forest of Douglas fir, incense cedar, and bigleaf maple is lush and well-watered.

Directions & Access

• Nearest City: Glide, OR (~5 miles north); Roseburg, OR (~30 miles northwest via Hwy 138)

• Trail Information:

  • From the Cavitt Creek Recreation Site on Little River Road south of Glide, the easy 0.5-mile trail leads to the Yakso Falls viewpoint

  • Yakso Falls pairs naturally with Wolf Creek Falls (~5 miles south on the same road corridor) for a combined Little River waterfall day; the Cavitt Creek swimming holes nearby are excellent in summer

• Parking:

  • Cavitt Creek Recreation Site parking; BLM/USFS day-use fee may apply

• Accessibility:

  • Short, easy trail; generally accessible for most visitors

Best Time to Visit

• Spring: Best flows; the hair-like threads spread beautifully across the full cliff face

• Summer: Lower flows; combined with Cavitt Creek swimming for a complete Little River day

• Fall: Flows returning with October rains; quieter season in the corridor

• Winter: Full flows; the fine threads of the horsetail most impressive in winter

Nearby Attractions

• Wolf Creek Falls (175 ft, ~5 miles south)

• Cavitt Creek swimming holes (same site)

• Hemlock Falls (~8 miles south)

• Grotto Falls (~10 miles south)

• Glide, Oregon

References

• Links:

  • Umpqua National Forest – USFS

  • Travel Oregon – Little River and Glide Area

• Books:

  • Oregon Waterfalls by Greg Plumb

  • Waterfall Lover's Guide: Pacific Northwest