Toketee Falls is an 89-foot tiered plunge waterfall on the North Umpqua River in the Umpqua National Forest, Douglas County, Oregon. The river squeezes through a slot of columnar basalt and drops twice into a pool, seen from a fenced platform at the end of a short trail off Highway 138.
The falls
The upper tier drops 19 feet into a small grotto, and the lower tier plunges 70 feet into the larger pool, with surveys from 2021 establishing the 89-foot total; older surveys cited 113 feet and other accounts give about 120. A PacifiCorp dam just upstream, part of the North Umpqua Hydroelectric Project, sends most of the river around the falls through a penstock, keeping the flow steady year-round at an estimated 65 to 115 cubic feet per second.
Getting there
From Highway 138, take Toketee Bridge Road (Forest Road 34) for 0.2 mile, keeping left, crossing the river and turning left into the trailhead lot, which has toilets and a picnic area. The trail is 0.8 mile round trip, with 120 to 170 feet of elevation gain, rated between easy and moderate. The route includes long stair sections, most with railings, and lacks wheelchair access; free parking is available in a small gravel lot that can fill on summer weekends, with no cell service in the area.
When to go
Because the dam regulates the river, flow remains consistent through the year rather than peaking with snowmelt. The trail is popular, though weekdays in late spring are often quieter.
On site
The trail ends at a fenced viewing platform with a bench. Descending to the base from the viewpoint is not permitted, as people have fallen trying; unfenced drop-offs border the river along the way. On July 17, 2026, a 20-year-old visitor jumped from a log about 60 feet above the water roughly 200 feet upstream of the falls, dislocated his shoulder and was hauled out by a rope rescue team from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. Leashed dogs are allowed. At the parking area stands a 12-foot-diameter redwood penstock, built for the hydroelectric project in 1947.
History and name
Toketee is a Chinook Jargon word meaning pretty or graceful. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names adopted the name in 1916, choosing it over Ireland Falls and Toketie Falls. A post office named Toketee Falls operated from 1952 to 1956 while the hydroelectric plant was being built.
Nearby
Watson Falls, a short walk from its own free trailhead off Highway 138, is about 2.6 miles away. Slide Creek Falls is about 2.8 miles away, and Whitehorse Falls on the Clearwater River about 6.5 miles.
Distances are straight-line.