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Linton Falls is one of the few large waterfalls in Oregon that has remained widely undocumented, the reasons for which are a little puzzling. Linton Lake, which the falls drain into, is a popular destination along the McKenzie Pass corridor, and parts of the falls are plainly visible across the lake. There are even pretty well established trails leading up the creek to the falls, yet there has never been any good documentation on the falls. So, after pouring over the beta I'd received from resident Oregon waterfall guru Todd Singleton, I found that Linton Falls is actually multiple distinct waterfalls. Further scouting by Todd and his friend Jeff revealed that rather than being three falls, aside from the 85 foot lower falls, the whole middle and upper section is one huge interconnected series of falls and cascades totaling 615 feet tall. Unfortunately, the bottom of the falls is all that can be seen with any sort of ease (and even there it's a stretch of the word). This is definitely one of the best waterfalls in Oregon, but the falls are hard to truly appreciate because the level of foreshortening from the base of the falls is massive. From across the lake, the true height of the falls is more apparent, but again, the upper half can't be seen at all, and the very bottom tier is partially obstructed by foreground trees. Unfortunately as one progresses up Linton Creek from Linton Lake, travel becomes more and more difficult, and I do not recommend the inexperienced attempt to visit this waterfall. Hopefully full views will be revealed eventually, painting a complete picture of the whole falls, which is making a strong claim on the title of Best Waterfall in Oregon.
- Linton Falls is the Official name of this waterfall.
Linton Falls was named for the creek and / or lake, but it isn't known whom the creek was named for. There are no less than 5 features with the name Linton applied in the area (Falls, Creek, Lake, Meadows and Springs).
Located near Linton Lake along the McKenzie Pass Highway. The Linton Lake Trailhead is located directly across the road from the Alder Springs campground, about 1.8 miles east of the Proxy Falls trailhead - about 8.3 miles east of the junctions of Highways 126 and 242, or 11 ½ miles west of the McKenzie Pass summit. The trail to Linton Lake leads an easy 1-½ miles to the mouth of Obsidian Creek, passing across rough lava fields and through a dark forest along the lakeshore. At Obsidian Creek, the official trail ends, but an obvious route continues another 1/3 mile to the mouth of Linton Creek. From there, the trail becomes a little less obvious - but still easy to follow after the initial climb up the hillside - as it climbs up alongside the gorge of Linton Creek. Stay away from the stream, but keep the water within earshot. The trail - harder to follow as it climbs up the hillside along the creek - gradually fades out, becoming almost non-existent before the middle falls are reached. From Lower Linton Falls, the path climbs away from the gorge a bit before fading out. If you get disoriented, stay close to the creek and you'll hit the bottom of the falls about 1/3 of a mile from Linton Lake. Further climbing to see the upper sections of the falls is strongly discouraged.
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