University Falls is a 63-foot curtain-horsetail waterfall on Elliot Creek in the Tillamook State Forest, Tillamook County, Oregon, reached by a short trail off Highway 6.
The falls
The creek narrows into a curtain that widens to about 30 feet across in wet conditions, dropping as a single horsetail over what is described as a basalt cliff. A re-survey posted to the World Waterfall Database in mid-2026 measures the height at 63 feet. Marshes upstream moderate the runoff that feeds the falls, and the curtain can shrink to 5 to 10 feet wide in summer.
Getting there
Access is from Oregon Highway 6 via Beaver Dam Road and University Falls Road, inside the Tillamook State Forest, managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry. The department warns two-wheel-drive vehicles and vehicles towing trailers against taking University Falls and Rutherford Roads directly off Highway 6. From the trailhead, the walk in is a 0.7-mile out-and-back with 183 feet of elevation gain, rated moderate; the route climbs at the start, crosses an ORV trail, then descends to the base. Fees, hours and the current road status are not documented.
When to go
The falls run year-round, strongest in winter and spring and weakest in summer and autumn. The trail itself is open and used year-round.
On site
Leashed dogs are allowed on the trail.
History and name
The forest around the falls regrew after the Tillamook Burn, under a reforestation program approved in 1948.
Nearby
Stafford Falls is about 1.8 miles away, Middle Stafford Falls about 1.9 miles, and Upper Stafford Falls about 2.1 miles.
Distances are straight-line.