Royal Terrace Falls is a 119-foot tiered horsetail waterfall on Fall Creek in McDowell Creek Falls County Park, Linn County, Oregon, about 5.4 miles northeast of Sweet Home. A short walk from the park's main lot leads to a bridge at its foot.
The falls
Fall Creek drops off the valley wall of McDowell Creek, spreading into stair-stepped horsetails in two tiers, the taller one 71 feet. The World Waterfall Database resurveyed the falls in 2017 and kept the 119-foot height. The stream is small: about 5 cubic feet per second at high water, about 30 feet wide on average, and it nearly dries up in late summer. Some accounts describe the water spilling down three terraces. A clear-cut on the slope beside the falls is visible from the bridge.
Getting there
The park is at 43170 McDowell Creek Drive. From Interstate 5 at Albany, take Highway 20 east for 20 miles to McDowell Creek Road, then 6.5 miles to the park. From the main lot, which holds about 15 cars, the trail crosses McDowell Creek and reaches the bridge below Royal Terrace in about a quarter mile. Two more lots sit farther up the road, the larger one at Majestic Falls. The full 1.8-mile loop through the park is rated easy, with 340 feet of gain, and there is no fee. The park is for day use only.
When to go
November to May brings the strongest flow, and late February through May is especially recommended when all the park's falls run full. Weekends draw moderate crowds, weekdays few.
On site
The bridge at the base gives the full view, a wooden platform looks down from above, and a spur trail climbs the right side toward the upper tier. The county map marks some stair sections as difficult, and the wooden stairs and platforms turn slippery in icy weather. Dogs are allowed on leash. There are restrooms and picnic tables near the parking.
History and name
The name comes from the terraced shape, likened to a fountain in a royal palace. McDowell Creek is named for Jack McDowell, an early settler.
Nearby
Lower McDowell Creek Falls is about 0.2 mile away, Crystal Falls about 0.3 mile and Majestic Falls about 0.4 mile, all on McDowell Creek along the same park trail.
Distances are straight-line.