Lemolo Falls

Lemolo Falls is located near Lemolo and Diamond Lakes in the Umpqua National Forest. Depart Highway 138 eleven miles east of Toketee at FR 2610, marked for Lemolo Lake. Follow Road 2610 for 4 1/4 miles and turn left onto Thorn Prairie Road # 3401. Follow 3401 for 1/2 mile to Road 3401-800 (a small sign reads just "800"), and a sign pointing towards Lemolo Falls. Follow 800 for 1 3/4 miles to road # 3401-840 (again, signed just "840"), also marked for Lemolo Falls. Proceed to this road's end in 1/4 mile. Lemolo Falls trail # 1468 takes off downhill, following part of an old road to the old trailhead and picnic area in 1/3 mile. The falls are reached 1 mile from the trailhead.Lemolo Falls is both the tallest and most powerful waterfall along the North Umpqua River. Here the river breaks over a contorted cliff of columnar basalt and plummets 165 feet into a large pool. The falls have been described as a raucous monster - its name even adding to that reputation - yet Lemolo Falls is actually one of the most consistent waterfalls in Oregon. The Lemolo Lake Dam a few mile upstream draws off the vast majority of the North Umpqua River but allows a fixed amount of water to flow over the falls at all times. The only time when the river is allowed to flow freely is at the peak of snowmelt when the diversion channels are maxed out and when the lake is drawn down. It is an impressive waterfall to see at high water - the entire cliff turning into a wall of explosive spray some 60 feet wide - but even under standard conditions, this is still a very impressive waterfall. Take into account then that the construction of the Lemolo Lake dam reduced the volume of Lemolo Falls by approximately 5 times on average, and as much as 8 times during peak runoff in the spring - a sight which must have been quite awe inspiring. The Forest Service cites the falls as being 102 feet tall in places, however the 1998 USGS Lemolo Lake quadrangle clearly marks this waterfall as dropping 165 feet and we are much more inclined to believe that figure having not had a chance yet to measure the falls ourselves.Lemolo is a Chinook Jargon word meaning "wild" or "untamed", which has its origins in the french "le moron", which itself is a bastardization of "marron", which refers to a runaway black slave.