Toketee Falls

The Toketee Falls trailhead can be found 1/2 mile north of Highway 138 near Toketee Lake, itself about 43 miles east of Glide or 16 miles west of Diamond Lake. Simply watch for the road signs. The trail leading to the viewpoint is about 1/3 of a mile in length and while it is not designed for the disabled, it is well graded and easy to travel. Access to the base of the falls from the viewpoint area is not permitted, do not assume damage to the fencing around the viewpoint to be an invitation to scramble down into the canyon (there are signs around indicating that this area is closed, please respect them).Toketee Falls is one of the most well known waterfalls in Oregon, renowned for the well defined columnar jointing along the cliff which forms the waterfall. The falls drop in two steps from a narrow slot canyon carved into the basalt bedrock, falling a total of 89 feet into a large cerulean-hued pool. The upper fall drops 19 feet into a small grotto framed on all sides with columnar formations, and from the lip of the pool the river then leaps a sheer 70 feet into the larger pool at the bottom of the canyon. The North Umpqua River has been harnessed in a series of hydroelectric developments, one of which bypasses Toketee Falls and has resulted in the majority of the volume of the river being diverted around the waterfall. While this results in the falls appearing to retain a very consistent flow throughout the year, it also means the falls almost never achieve their powerful natural state. At the trailhead parking, the 12-foot diameter wooden penstock can be seen fluming the majority of the river to the powerhouse downstream - seams in the pipe often leak and offer an opportunity for an impromptu cool shower on a hot summer day. The North Umpqua River basin upstream from Toketee Falls covers an area of 335 square miles, and the river naturally averages a flow of between 400 and 800 cubic feet per second at the outlet of Toketee Lake where the bulk of the flow is diverted. The exact volume which is diverted is not clear, but it is assumed to have a minimum release of at least 65-75 cubic feet per second - roughly on par with Lemolo Falls several miles further upstream.Toketee is a Chinook word meaning Graceful. The irony here is that Toketee Falls could only be considered graceful in any sense after the construction of the dam upstream resulted in the vast majority of the river being diverted away from the falls, while the falls has been recognized by name dating back to at least 1916 - a full 35 years before the dam was built.