Middle Crater Creek Falls

The third falls along Crater Creek's precipitous descent from the Soda Creek meadows represents a distinct change in character from the previous two descents. While the two falls upstream both plunge over sheer cliffs, this fall veils over a more rounded ledge of bedrock, falling 52 feet over the same same bright red formations which the two upper falls are composed of, but with much less undercutting and fracturing present. Visitors to this waterfall may notice the heavily scoured streambed above and below the falls. This is the remaining evidence of a substantial flood which occured when a large chunk of an unnamed glacier calved into Moraine Lake on the east face of Broken Top and sent a large wave over the natural dam, causing it to breach. The lake partially drained, lowering its level by 14 feet and sending 50 million gallons of water down the Crater Creek drainage, scouring out everything in its path. Crater Creek is partially diverted into the Crater Creek ditch about a mile upstream of the falls. Late in the summer months the volume of water actually reaching this waterfall can be greatly reduced due to this diversion, but the falls should rarely run dry.