Willamette National Forest Middle Fork District

Fall Creek Area

THE FALL CREEK AREA is easily reached from the Eugene/Spingfield community. There are back roads from Springfield that can get you there quickly but the easiest way to describe is to take Hwy 58 from I-5 south of Eugene to Lowell. Cross the bridge into Lowell and go north two miles to Unity Junction. From there turn right on Road 18 (Fall Creek Road) 11 miles to the first of the six USFS campgrounds in the Fall Creek National Recreational Area. The campgrounds get nicer as you travel up the drainage, but more crowded on the weekends. The area host lives at Broken Bowl Campground just before the Clark Creek Group Site.

Fall Creek connects all the campgrounds and many of the sites have additional creeks connecting to Fall Creek. A great hiking trail travels along Fall Creek for 14 miles starting at Dolly Varden at an elevation of 960 feet and going about 7 miles past Puma to an elevation of 1, 385 feet. Along the trail are ample opportunities for swimming or fishing for Rainbow or Cutthroat Trout. At the upper end of the trial is a dense 51 acre forest of old growth Douglas Firs. This towering trees are somewhere between 300 to 500 years old. At the Clark Creek Group Campground (great for family reunions and classroom outings), you can find a couple of nature trails. One winds around the campground and the other is a rigorous hike up the nearby hill. Great vistas are offered for the energetic hiker.

The Johnny Creek Nature Trail located off Road 1821 provides an excellent interpretive opportunity for the physically challenged. Its half mile trail is paved and well marked. Picnic tables and restroom facilities are also available. Near Bedrock Campground is the 5.8 mile Jones Trail. More information can be obtained about the area at the Lowell Ranger District at the entrance to Lowell.