Proxy Falls

Located along the McKenzie Pass Highway. From the junction of Highways 126 (McKenzie River Byway) and 242 (McKenzie Pass Highway), follow Highway 242 east for 6 ½ miles to the well signed Proxy Falls trailhead. The trail to the falls is set up as a loop, and we suggest hiking in the opposite direction from what the signs state. Following the trail in a clockwise fashion leads hikers to Upper Proxy Falls first, saving the better of the two falls for last. Going in this way, Proxy Falls is reached after 2/3 of a mile of easy walking (following the signs as indicated, hikers will reach the falls in approximately ¾ of a mile of walking). Scramble trails access the base of the falls from the developed viewpoint.Proxy Falls is one of the most frequently photographed waterfalls in Oregon and is certainly among the most photogenic waterfalls in the entire country. Anybody who as had a waterfall calendar has undoubtedly seen pictures of this gorgeous cascade. Fed by springs on the shoulder of North Sister, Proxy Creek breaks over a wall of columnar basalt liberally marinated in mosses, veiling 226 feet in two streams. One of the most striking characteristics of the falls is that the two primary viewpoints provide surprisingly different perspectives of the falls. From the end of the trail, the falls are viewed through a natural channel in the thick surrounding forest and appear as a fall widening mid-way down, and then narrowing slightly at the bottom. From the base of the falls, however, the top looks much more constricted and the base appears much wider than it does from further back.