Two tiered horsetails divide around a rock buttress at Soda Creek Falls, a 15-foot waterfall on Soda Creek in Deschutes County, Oregon.
The falls
The taller of the two steps reaches 10 feet. Springs keep the creek flowing year-round, though discharge drops substantially once the mountain snowpack has melted. Older guides put the falls at 25 to 40 feet, but a field survey found 15 feet.
Getting there
The route starts at the Green Lakes/Soda Creek trailhead on Cascade Lakes Highway and runs about 2.5 miles one way along Soda Creek Trail to a sharp switchback with a view of the falls below the tread. From June 15 through October 15, a date- and trailhead-specific Central Cascades Wilderness day-use permit is required, along with a federal recreation pass at the trailhead; the current fee amounts are not published on the permit page.
When to go
May through August is the best-flow window. Cascade Lakes Highway can stay closed to vehicles until mid- or late June, and snow can linger on the trail into late June.
On site
Dogs must be leashed from July 15 through September 15 in the Green and Moraine Lakes area, including on Soda Creek Trail. The view is from below the trail rather than from an overlook above it. An accessible viewpoint, official swimming guidance and toilets at the falls are not documented.
Nearby
Lower Crater Creek Falls and Crater Creek Cascades, both on Crater Creek, are about 0.6 mile away, as is Crater Creek Falls. Fall Creek Falls is about 1.8 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.