Shellburg Falls

Located in the Santiam State Forest near Mehama. From I-5 in Salem, take Highway 22 east for about 22 miles to the small town of Mehama. Turn left on Fern Ridge Road, and follow for 1.2 miles to an unmarked gravel road which heads off sharply to the right. Park here so as to not block the gate, and follow the gravel road for 1 ¼ miles to the bridge over Shellburg Creek. Head left on the Shellburg Falls trail, marked by a brown sign, and continue another 1/5 of a mile to the base of the falls. The trail circumnavigates behind the falls, then heads to the top and further upstream. This is public access to the falls, however, the road crosses private land, so please obey the signs at the first gate, and stay on the road until you reach State land.Shellburg Falls is the centerpiece waterfall in the small sliver of the Santiam State Forest along the Stout Creek canyon. The falls plunge 100 feet over a protruding basalt ledge which creates a large recess behind the falls - a surprisingly common feature for waterfalls in this area of Oregon - through which the trail traverses around the falls and then climbs to the top of the canyon. Because Shellburg Creek relies solely on rainfall to sustain its flow, it runs very low in the summer, though I haven't seen any evidence that it dries out.