Paulina Creek Falls is a 78-foot twin plunge waterfall on Paulina Creek in Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Deschutes County, Oregon. Two parallel streams pour side by side over the same cliff just below Paulina Lake, and a pair of short paths from a day-use area reach viewpoints above and below it.
The falls
Paulina Creek drains Paulina Lake, inside the Newberry caldera, and cuts through the caldera's western wall; the lake is fed by rain, snowmelt and hot springs. At the falls the creek splits into two channels that drop together over a horseshoe-shaped cliff. Field resurveys measured both channels at 78 feet; earlier surveys listed 80 feet, a figure still used in some regional guides.
Getting there
The falls are on the Deschutes National Forest. Signed parking is off Paulina Lake Road, about 12.5 miles east of Highway 97. The upper overlook sits 0.1 mile from the lot with 50 feet of elevation change on a wheelchair-accessible route. The lower viewpoint is 0.25 mile each way with about 200 feet of elevation change, or about 0.4 mile round trip with roughly 100 feet of descent depending on the path taken. A $5 day pass, Northwest Forest Pass or interagency pass is required from May 1 to September 30.
When to go
May through July brings the strongest flow, though the lake and porous volcanic ground keep the creek running all year. Paulina Lake Road closes in winter. Photographer Joe Becker suggests midday from the lower viewpoint, when sun lights both streams at once.
On site
The upper overlook has picnic tables and a wheelchair-accessible path; the lower viewpoint looks up at both channels from below but is not wheelchair accessible.
History and name
The falls are also called Paulina Falls. They take their name from the creek, which, like the lake and Paulina Peak, honors the Indigenous leader Paulina.
Nearby
Several falls lie downstream on the same creek: an unnamed waterfall on Paulina Creek about 2 miles away, Island Falls about 2.6 miles and McKay Crossing Falls about 4.8 miles.
Distances are straight-line.