Proxy Falls

_{A 225 foot cascading waterfall located in the Williamette National Forest of Oregon.}

Location: Mckenzie Highway – Blue River – Belknap Springs, Oregon

Distance: 1.5 mile Loop Time: 1-1.5 Hrs

Height: 225 Feet Type: Cascade, Fan

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation Gain: 200 Feet

Season: May-November

Foot Traffic: Heavy

Date Hiked: Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Overview

Looking to visit one of the most stunning waterfalls imaginable, on a short day hike? Look no further. I find this to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever laid eyes upon. The main attraction being Lower Proxy Falls, a 225 foot cascade waterfall draped in an old growth forest of cedar and douglas fir with moss and lichen growing on everything in sight.

Proxy Falls is located in the Cascade Mountains in the Three Sisters Wilderness, within the Williamette National Forest. The trail first passes through an old lava flow, before arriving at an overlook of the lower falls. The trail then heads steeply into the dense forest canopy towards the base of the falls. The loop will then bring you to the 130 foot Upper Proxy Falls and a nice spot along the stream. While not as photogenic or stunning as the lower falls, it is still a pretty spot worth the minimal effort. The trail then winds around, bringing you back towards the lava field, before completing the loop by depositing you back at the day use parking area. The trail can get crowded and the parking area can fill up, so visiting outside of peak hours is recommended.

Trail Description/Scout’s Story

Our morning would start early from the town of Cottage Grove, where we had stayed the night before. Our daughter, Scout, was now 9 weeks old and we were still adjusting to the extra time that it was now taking us to get ready each morning. We managed to get packed up and on the road just before 7:00 AM. The drive to the Proxy Falls trail head took us about an hour and a half. However, due to the constant beauty at every turn, the drive along the Mckenzie River highway seemed much shorter. With the time nearing 8:30, we arrived at the parking area for Proxy Falls and were a little surprised to find only one other car already there, and that was a fellow hiker who happened to still be sleeping in his car. We got baby Scout situated in her pack on her moms chest and grabbed the rest of our belongings. We stopped quickly to fill out the day use permit at the trail head board and then we were off.

Lava Field to Lower Proxy Falls Lookout

Finally, we set off on the main trail. Our daughter was wide awake and her eyes were wide open, staring at the scenes in front of us. Almost immediately, we reached an old lava flow, which I was not expecting.

Following along the lava field we hit a fork in the trail and turned right, deciding to take the loop in a counter clockwise direction. This is the way that most people will opt to hike it, making Lower Proxy Falls the first destination. Shortly thereafter, we came to a clearing with a view of Proxy Falls in the distance. While beautiful, this vantage point doesn’t do a very good job of capturing the full scale of the waterfall.

The viewpoint is worth stopping at, but the view from the base of the falls is unchallenged.

Proxy Falls Overlook to base of Lower Proxy Falls

With our baby now sleeping, we began our descent through the now dense forest towards the bottom of the falls. It’s a short but rather steep downhill section, but the trail does narrow a little bit and there were some trees blocking the trail, which we had to negotiate along the somewhat slippery trail. If there is any part of the hike that could give someone a problem, this would unquestionably be it. As we grew closer, we set our packs down and relaxed next to the stream. Eventually, we veered off the trail to explore closer towards the base of the falls. There were logs and trees scattered everywhere to make for nice resting spots.

As we made our way closer to the falls, the constant shower of mist was leaving us a little damp. It was a bit of a battle to keep baby Scout and our electronics dry. There was really no way to prevent getting our feet wet and we didn’t even try. We decided to just wade through the ankle deep stream and not even attempt rock hopping. Proxy Falls was absolutely stunning and instead of forming a pool at its base, the falls created more of a cascade down a gentle slope of moss covered rocks.

It was stunning to say the least. To have this place all to ourselves felt almost otherworldly. My wife set her tripod up to take some pictures with our daughter still strapped to her chest.

With the cascading sounds of the waterfall growing louder, my daughter awoke from her short nap. Scout began looking around trying to figure out what it was that she was now seeing. I believe that this was the first waterfall that 9 week old Scout had ever laid her eyes on. We sat at the falls, just the three of us, for over 30 minutes. We took in every little sight and sound, and it felt as if we could stay here forever.

I was once again surprised that we had still not seen any other hikers.

Lower Proxy to Upper Proxy Falls

Finally we decided to push forward, finding the main trail and continuing in a counter clockwise direction. Not long after, we arrived at Upper Proxy Falls. The views are a little obscured by branches and other debris, and it’s just not a very photogenic waterfall.

Nonetheless, it is a beautiful spot and a great place that I found very peaceful and relaxing. At about half the size of the Lower falls, Upper Proxy comes down in sections instead of in one plunge. This makes it appear even smaller than the 100 feet that it actually is. One of the more interesting sights along this hike is that the water from the falls seems to disappear near the bottom, making one wander around trying to find out where the stream continues. The intriguing reality is that the water actually seeps underground from the pool at the base of the falls, emerging in springs several miles away.

Upper Proxy Falls back to the Trailhead

From here we continued along the trail and soon came to the connector trail, taking a left and arriving back at the lava field section of the hike that we had started on earlier in the day. From there, it was a quick walk back to the car where families and other hikers were now starting to arrive. We would pack up pretty quickly and head off to hike a few other longer trails later in the day. The thing that I loved about starting our day early at Proxy Falls was that the hike was short enough to still leave us time to start another trail at a very early hour. That and the fact that visiting this magical and gorgeous wonderland early in the morning emitted an immense amount of inspiration to carry us through the rest of our day exploring.

Getting to Proxy Falls

Proxy Falls, Blue River, OR 97413

Notes

Is this a fee area?

• No, although a day use permit is required (free). It can be filled out at the trail board at the start of the trail.

Are there toilets available at the trailhead?

• Yes, there are vault toilets across the street.

Are Pets Allowed?

• Yes, pets are allowed on the trail but must be leashed and kept in control at all times. Please pick up any animal waste and pack it out with you.

Other Great Nearby Trails and Areas

Tamolitch Blue Pool

Sahalie and Koosah Falls

Lower Linton Falls

White Branch Falls

Skylight Cave

Belknap Covered Bridge