Overview

• Location: Clatsop County, Oregon Coast Range (near Jewell)

• Waterfall Type: Cascade

• Height: ~72 feet (22 m)

• Trail Distance: Short walk from roadside pullout; less than 0.1 miles

• Difficulty: Easy

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

History & Background

Fishhawk Falls is a dramatic 72-foot cascade near the community of Jewell in Clatsop County, one of the most accessible and impressive waterfalls along Highway 202 between Astoria and Vernonia. The falls cascade on Fishhawk Creek, a tributary of the Nehalem River, surrounded by the moist Coast Range forest of northwestern Oregon. Jewell is home to the Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area, managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as winter range for Roosevelt elk — one of the largest remaining elk herds in the state — making the Highway 202 corridor a destination for both waterfall seekers and wildlife viewers. The falls are visible from a roadside pullout, making them one of the easiest tall waterfalls to view in the northern Oregon Coast Range.

Geology

Fishhawk Falls cascades 72 feet over a sheer basalt wall on Fishhawk Creek at approximately 621 feet elevation in the northern Clatsop County Coast Range. The falls occupy a narrow slot canyon carved through the oceanic basalt of the Coast Range, a formation of ancient seafloor that was accreted onto North America approximately 50 million years ago. The northern Coast Range receives tremendous annual precipitation from Pacific weather systems, often exceeding 100 inches in higher terrain, which drives the powerful falls visible in winter and spring. The surrounding forest of Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and red alder reflects this wet, coastal climate.

Directions & Access

• Nearest City: Jewell, OR (~2 miles); Astoria, OR (~30 miles northwest)

• Trail Information:

  • Very short, easy path from a roadside pullout on Highway 202 leads directly to the base viewpoint of Fishhawk Falls

  • The falls are visible from the road itself and easily photographed from the pullout; the Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area for elk viewing is just a short distance further on Highway 202

• Parking:

  • Roadside pullout directly adjacent to the falls on Highway 202; no fee

• Accessibility:

  • Short, flat access from the roadside; generally accessible for most visitors

Best Time to Visit

• Spring: Peak flows from coastal rains; the full 72-foot cascade is at its most dramatic in spring

• Summer: Reduced flow; still scenic; the elk at Jewell Meadows are often visible in the morning and evening

• Fall: Flows return with October rains; Roosevelt elk at Jewell Meadows are actively visible as winter range congregations begin

• Winter: Highest flows; elk herds congregate at Jewell Meadows; dramatic coastal conditions

Nearby Attractions

• Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area (Roosevelt elk)

• Nehalem River

• Astoria (Lewis and Clark history)

• Cannon Beach (~40 miles southwest)

• Fort Clatsop National Historical Park

References

• Links:

  • Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area – ODFW

  • Travel Oregon – Northern Coast

• Books:

  • Oregon Waterfalls by Greg Plumb

  • Waterfall Lover's Guide: Pacific Northwest