Shellburg Falls is a 100-foot plunge waterfall on Shellburg Creek in Santiam State Forest, Marion County, Oregon, about 2.6 miles north of Lyons. After the 2020 wildfires closed it for nearly four years, the falls reopened in 2024 on a rebuilt, easy trail.
The falls
Shellburg Creek spills in a single drop over a protruding basalt ledge, and the ledge has worn back into a large recess behind the curtain of water. Field surveys place the height at 100 feet and the average width at about 10 feet. The creek is fed by rain rather than snow, so the falls run strongly in the wet season and drop to a thin stream in summer. The falls sit in a corner of the state forest above the Stout Creek canyon.
Getting there
The Oregon Department of Forestry manages the site as part of Santiam State Forest. The old lower trailhead on Fern Ridge Road is permanently closed: after the fire, neighboring landowners filled the parking area with gravel and posted No Trespassing signs. Access is now from the upper side via Wagner Road and Ayers Creek Road; follow the signs to the trailhead parking. The rebuilt route is rated easy, covering 1.4 miles round trip with about 160 feet of gain, starting beside the parking kiosk and using bridges and switchbacks to reach a fenced viewpoint. The new trail runs alongside private timberland; stay on the path. The state forest maintains the site for day use, but some other trails in the Shellburg area remain closed, so check the forest's trail status page before driving out.
When to go
Winter and spring bring the strongest flow; by summer the creek runs much lower. Weekends often see heavier visitor traffic.
On site
The path that once led behind the falls is blocked for safety, and the former loop through the area is no longer open, so the visit ends at the viewpoint.
History and name
The Labor Day fires of 2020 destroyed the trail's bridges, signs and steps. Crews rebuilt the route and reopened access before Memorial Day 2024.
Nearby
Lower Shellburg Falls is about 0.2 mile downstream on the same creek, Stasel Falls on Stout Creek about 0.5 mile away, and Ayers Creek Falls about 1 mile.
Distances are straight-line.