Koosah Falls

From the junction of Highways 20 and 126 (approximately 70 miles east of I-5 in Albany via Highway 20, or 85 miles east of I-5 in Salem via Highway 22), follow Highway 126 south for about 5 miles and turn right at the sign for Koosah Falls and Icecap Campground. Head left at the junction, and park near the restrooms. Viewpoints are reached via a short walk in either direction from the parking area.Koosah Falls is the second of the three major waterfalls along Oregon's McKenzie River near Santiam Pass and Clear Lake. The falls drop 74 feet over a broad undercut basalt shelf, hurling into a large pool below. Underneath the cliff and along the perimeter of the pool below the falls are several smaller springs which seep into the river. As the volume of the McKenzie shifts during the season, the falls will also change their appearance considerably. During periods of peak flow in the spring and early summer months the river may cover the entire bench and create a solid 75-foot wide wall of water as it thunders over the falls. But by August or September the volume of the river will drop enough that the falls will be restricted to two primary segments falling in parallel.
The height of Koosah Falls had not been entirely well established in the past. Some accounts cited a drop of 80-120 feet, while a handful of extreme kayakers who first paddled over the falls in the mid-2000s measured it at 82 feet. Our two surveys resulted in strangely inconsistent measurements of 64 feet and 74 feet, however LiDAR data available in the form of Google Earth's terrain models is in closest agreement with our most recent measurement of 74 feet.
Even though the McKenzie River originates in Clear Lake just a few miles upstream from the falls, the river maintains consistent heavy flow all year long thanks to the large aquafir and network of springs which feed into the basin from the large volcanic plateaus on either side of Clear Lake - an area covering upwards of 90 square miles. The outflow of Clear Lake averages between 300 and 560 cubic feet per second throughout the year, regardless of the depth of the winter snow pack.Koosah Falls was originally known as Middle Falls before the Clear Lake area was developed for recreation. Koosah is a Chinook Jargon word meaning "sky", a possible homage to the crystal blue color of the river.