Upper Proxy Falls is a 153-foot segmented cascade in the Three Sisters Wilderness of Lane County, Oregon, where a small spring-fed stream tumbles down mossy cliffs and then vanishes into a lava flow. It shares an easy loop trail off the McKenzie Pass Highway with the taller Proxy Falls.
The falls
The World Waterfall Database re-surveyed the falls and in June 2026 measured them at 153 feet in a single steep cascade; earlier surveys listed 129 feet. The unnamed stream splits into two channels that rejoin before the final section, about 10 feet wide on average. Below, the water runs through moss to a quiet pool at the edge of the lava, sinks underground and resurfaces farther down the valley as the springs of Lost Creek. Because it is spring-fed, the flow is small but steady all year.
Getting there
The Proxy Falls trailhead is on OR 242, the McKenzie Pass Highway, east of its junction with OR 126. The loop is 1.5 to 2 miles with up to 250 feet of gain, rated easy. Hiked clockwise, the loop reaches Upper Proxy first, by the first spur on the left after about two-thirds of a mile.
Parking is a $5 day-use fee per vehicle, or a Northwest Forest Pass, with a free self-issue wilderness permit required from June 15 to October 15. The lot holds about 15 to 20 cars and fills into the roadside pullouts; vault toilets are across the road. Vehicles over 35 feet are banned from OR 242.
When to go
OR 242 closes for snow from the Thursday before Veterans Day until the third Monday in June; in 2026 it opened on June 15. The strongest flow occurs from April to June, though the road only opens in mid-June, while late September to mid-October brings fall color.
On site
The falls sit in a grotto and are hard to see from below; a small hill directly across offers a clear view. The spur down to the pool is more gradual than the one to Proxy Falls. The trail isn't wheelchair accessible, and dogs are allowed on a leash.
Nearby
Proxy Falls is about 0.2 mile away, on the same loop. Shadow Creek Falls is about 0.9 mile away, Lower Linton Falls about 1.7 miles and Linton Falls about 2 miles.
Distances are straight-line.