Proxy Falls

An easy hike to beautiful waterfalls and an outrageous display of fall color.

If you think New England's got Oregon beat when it comes to Fall colors, than wait until you see the vine maple display along the Proxy Falls trail.  In October the maple growing in a lava field turns a thousand different shocking colors—lime green, lemon yellow and fire engine red.  These autumn colors are positively fluorescent and must be seen to be believed. 

Directions: Take Highway 126 east from Eugene/Springfield for approximately 46 miles.  Approximately 2 miles past the McKenzie Ranger Station take a right onto old McKenzie Pass Highway (Hwy. 242).  Take 242 for about 9 miles to the well-signed Proxy Falls trailhead.  The Proxy Falls trail is a flat one-mile loop trail.  Begin your hike at the western (downhill) trailhead. 

This easy hike provides vivid examples of the influence of fire and ice on the Cascades.  The first part of the trail takes you through a relatively young lava field choked with the colorful vine maple.  There are a number of large gnarled old Douglas fir which survive the harsh growing conditions of the lava by adopting a stubby shape that is a far cry from their majestic, arrow-straight cousins of an old-growth forest. 

After a third of a mile you leave the lava behind and enter a pleasant forest.  Take a right at the first intersection.  This short trail takes you to hundred foot tall Lower Proxy Falls, the tallest and most photogenic of the two.  There is an excellent viewing point overlooking the lower falls, and the more adventurous can take a steep use trail and scramble all the way to the falls themselves.  Lower Proxy Falls was created 6,000 years ago when a giant glacier carved a deep trough through the area, leaving steep canyon walls after the ice receded.   

After returning to the loop trail, it's another quarter of a mile to a second junction.  The path to the right takes you to Upper Proxy Falls.  The upper falls are fascinating in that they have no outlet.  The huge volume of water collects in a pool and percolates through the volcanic soil of the area.  We can assume that this water resurfaces miles down the canyon to form the headwaters of Lost Creek and White Branch Creek. 

Old McKenzie Pass Highway is closed during the winter, and the Proxy Falls trailhead is crowded most days.  If you're not a people person, plan on coming early in the morning, or on the weekdays.  Remember to snap some pictures of the vine maple to show your friends from the hardwood forests of the (l)east coast.