The Oregon Coast Mountains are not a large range nor do they possess any peaks of much note, glaciers of any sort or many natural lakes of significant stature. The underlying geology, however, is very rugged, volcanic in its past and stretches the whole length of the state. The result is a significant number of waterfalls. The region encompassing the Coast Range stretches from Washington to Oregon, and from Interstate 5 to the Pacific Coast.
The waterfalls of the Coast Range are not known for being large. The tallest waterfall known to occur in the region stands just over 300 feet tall and few others break the 200 foot mark. But what the falls in this region lack in stature they make up for in sheer numbers. Basaltic and Rhyolitic bedrock is copious all up and down the range. The number of streams without a waterfall is probably outnumbered by those with by a ratio of 2:1 (though comparatively few have been documented). Unfortunately the Coast Range has been victimized by the logging industry. Many of the waterfalls in the region have only been mapped because of high capacity resource gathering nearby. Further, a great number of the waterfalls which have been mapped in the region are not accessible because they fall within privately managed lands. There are a few tree farms where public access is allowed, but possibly as many as half of the waterfalls in the region will not be accessible to the public. |
