Lower Diamond Creek Falls

Located west of Willamette Pass, just off of Highway 58. The falls are accessed from the Salt Creek Falls day use area, located 21 miles east of Oakridge, or 5 miles west of Willamette Pass. The parking lot is well signed from the main road, and east bounders will undoubtedly see Salt Creek Falls through the trees before reaching the turnoff. Park at the far end of the loop, follow the Diamond Creek Falls trail across Salt Creek and bear right at the first junction. The trail follows the rim of Salt Creek Canyon for 2/3 of a mile to the first viewpoint, where the falls can be seen through thick foreground trees. As the trail passes near the top of the falls in another 500 feet or so, another view through the trees is afforded, but this is the best you'll do without risking your life.This multi-stepped waterfall is the counterpart to nearby Salt Creek Falls as Diamond Creek plunges into Salt Creek's canyon. The falls consist of four tiers - all of which are, very unfortunately, near impossible to see clearly. The upper tier is a 60-foot sliding cascade, which drops into a narrow stretch of the canyon. This part of the falls is located immediately off the Diamond Creek Falls trail, and hikers can look over the falls quite easily, but photographing the falls, or even viewing it clearly is impossible without rappelling into the gorge. Below here, the creek turns 90 degrees and plunges over a 35-foot horsetail followed by a gorgeous 60-foot tall, 60-foot wide veil - easily the best drop of the series. These two tiers can be easily seen across the canyon through the trees (see the above pictures), but there are no clear views to be had. Following this is a final plunge of about 20 feet. Local waterfall guru Todd Singleton has trekked to the bottom of the falls and revealed it to be one of the most scenic in the area. However access requires as many as a dozen fords of Salt and Diamond Creeks, as well as hairy scrambling up the lowest tier of the falls, so I would only recommend this be undertaken by those willing to walk away with one less functioning appendage. If this doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then please do NOT attempt to find better views. Leave that to the professionals and be glad that there are three other attention worthy waterfalls that can be accessed in the area.The origin of the name of Diamond Creek is unknown, but there are two possibilities. Nearby Diamond Peak was named for John Diamond of Coburg, who was among a party opening a road along the Middle Fork Willamette River for immigration. Either Diamond Creek was given the same name, or the creek was named after Diamond Peak (either way, it was named for the same person). Oddly, this waterfall doesn't appear to have ever been officially named, despite Diamond Creek Falls, upstream, and Salt Creek Falls, ½ mile adjacent, both having been tagged.