Watson Falls And The North Umpqua Inspire Peace And Tranquility

Although, we are now in fall and water is low, Watson Falls and the North Umpqua continue to be places that inspire peace and tranquility.  Watson Falls is a ribbon-like cascade that plunges over 270 feet, making it one of the highest falls in Southern Oregon.  The trail takes you to the very top where it is in the upper 40s and you are the recipient of drops of cold spray.  The trail meanders among boulders, which are sometimes covered with moss, depending on the heat.  But the vision of Watson Falls is well worth the climb.  It is located about 21 miles NW of Diamond Lake on the Roseburg Hwy.

Just beyond Watson Falls is the better-known Toketee Falls that you can walk around without any difficulty.  A few miles ahead is a power station which subsumes the flow of the North Umpqua.  Just above is a fish hatchery and Soda Springs Dam. It is the only dam on the North Umpqua.  In the high water of spring, rafting companies sometimes put their boats in below the dam to give their passengers a few extra rapids before reaching Boulder Springs Campground, the usual starting point.

Between Boulder Springs and Gravel Bin, there are a number of Class 2 and 3 rapids with one Class 4-, Pinball.  But the North Umpqua offers more than turbulent water, it also offers deep, quiet pools where one can sit by the riverside and just relax and reflect.  Shades of green and blue intermingle in the river currents, looking like oil colors on a painter’s canvas.  I especially enjoy looking at the solemn boulders, surrounded by swirling colors.  Indeed, it is a special place that inspires peace and tranquility.

Location of Watson Falls

Watson Falls trail

Watson Falls

Another view of Watson Falls

A boulder surrounded by the calm of the North Umpqua

The beauty and tranquility of the North Umpqua