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St. Louis Falls is the major waterfall of Deer Creek. The falls slide 15 feet into a small pool, then glide down another 20 feet of rocks before plunging 75 feet over a pair of horsetails (right). A rickety, and now broken, log bridge crosses the creek over the lower part of the slides to access the main part of the falls. Though there is an unmaintained trail to the mines near the falls, and the falls are in plain view from several areas, almost nobody knows of them. I've named the falls after the abandoned St. Louis Mine, which is located around the waterfall. There are three tunnels, the safest of which is located to the right of the base of the waterfall. Be sure to bring a lantern or a powerful light when entering the mine.
- St. Louis Falls is the Proposed name of this waterfall.
This waterfall is not thought to have ever been named, but with the extensive history of mining in the area, I wouldn't be surprised if someone - perhaps purveyor of the mine itself - had named the falls at one time or another. For now, I'm calling it after the mine.
Drive east along the Mountain Loop Highway for about 19 miles past the town of Granite Falls or about 7 miles past the turn off to the trailhead for Twin Falls to Forrest Road # 4052, just past the Deer Creek Bridge. Drive up road # 4052 for about 4 miles to a turnout on the right side of the road, about 1/4 mile before the trailhead for Kelcema Lake. A path drops down from the turnout, and winds around several trees, and comes to a small stream that runs out of the upper tunnel of the St. Louis Mine. From here, follow the stream, which occupies the trail to a broken log bridge which crosses Deer Creek over the slides part of the falls. After crossing the creek on the log, the path becomes a little more overgrown, and appears to end at the remains of an old shelter of some kind. Immediately to the right of the shelter ruins, the path drops down towards Deer Creek, and ends up at the base of the falls and the main entrance to the St. Louis Mine.
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