Ayers Creek Falls

Ayers Creek is the smallest tributary of Stout Creek in the waterfall-studded canyon above Mehama. This means that the falls become dry, or nearly dry in the summer, but it also means that the creek doesn't have the erosive power that the other area streams have and thus the falls are larger than adjacent Horseshoe Falls, which drops over the same basalt formation. Ayers Creek Falls is located about 100 feet upstream from Stout Creek, and is relatively easy to access. The falls spray 79 feet over the ubiquitous overhanging basalt ledge of the area, but are slightly difficult to see completely unobstructed from the canyon rim thanks to an inconveniently placed tree or three. Because of Ayers Creek's small drainage area, I expect it probably runs dry by May, give or take a month depending on the winter rainfall. When I visited the falls in March of 2005, Oregon was experiencing a significant drought, and the falls were running much lower than they should have been at that time of the year.The falls are also known as Ayers Falls, but it is not known for sure who Ayers was. Most likely the creek was named for Ayers, and the falls were named for the creek.