Bridge Creek Falls Tillamook

Bridge Creek Falls Tillamook Oregon

Bridge Creek Falls is located on the south side of Highway 6, just under 20 miles east of Tillamook. A large pullout on the south side of the highway affords plenty of parking space. Across the street is a footbridge spanning the Wilson River, providing access to the Wilson River trail (this is a good landmark to watch for as indication of where the falls are) and views of Lower Bridge Creek Falls spitting into the river.

Bridge Creek Falls splashes down 35 feet in three tiers just off of Highway 6 near the Footbridge Trail head. It can be visited as a part of a hike along the Wilson River Trail, or as a brief stopover on the way to or from the coast. There is a large parking pullout on the south side of the highway and an attractive path of stone steps leads up towards the falls. A small cistern at the base of the falls and remnants of piping suggest that the creek used to provide water for highway travelers.

Walking over the high footbridge on the Wilson River, you will get a good view of Lower Bridge Creek Falls, which spouts out of a culvert directly into the river at one of its narrowest points. Although these falls have been contained by highway engineers, they have always existed in this spot. Look for steelhead languishing in the clear river waters.

The Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests are 45 minutes outside of Portland’s backdoor and one of the state’s best keep secrets. But these forests also have a fraught history with logging, fires and more logging.  They are now 50 to 70 years into the recovery process and offer prime habitat for vibrant communities of fish and wildlife, as well as an immense array of recreational opportunities. The Wilson and Kilchis rivers host globally important runs of Chinook, chum, coho and steelhead. Both forests provide camping, biking, fishing, hunting and hiking grounds for thousands of Oregonians, and they also provide over 400,000 people with clean drinking water.

How to reach: From Tillamook, take Highway 6 approximately 18 miles.

Park alongside the road on the right directly across from the Footbridge trail-head. There is plenty of space to park safely.