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Far from the grandiosity of its eastern counterpart, Oregon's Niagara Falls evokes a sense of serenity as it sprays 122 feet over a dark basalt escarpment. Because the unnamed stream feeding the falls loses much of its volume in the dry months this is definitely one to visit in the winter and spring. By the end of July, the falls will be a shadow of their true self - though admittedly much better to take a shower under. The Siuslaw National Forest officially lists the falls at 107 feet tall, but no further sources could corroborate this measurement. We surveyed the falls in March of 2013 and found it to stand 122 feet tall, so the reality may be somewhere in the middle, but as a quick comparative to Pheasant Creek Falls just around the corner, the height is very similar (not that the margin of error would allow for an easy visual distinction between the two). Whatever the true height may be, the falls are nonetheless noteworthy.
- Niagara Falls is the Official name of this waterfall.
Confusion has surrounded the naming of the waterfalls along the Niagara Falls trail. First of all, neither of the falls at the end of this trail are on Niagara Creek. Niagara Falls was named due to its proximity to Niagara Point. For the longest time it had been assumed by nearly everybody that the waterfall on Pheasant Creek was the real Niagara Falls, but the Siuslaw National Forest seems to have recently clarified the confusion, asserting that this is indeed the correct waterfall to apply the name Niagara with (it makes sense too, since the falls drain directly from Niagara Point).
The falls are located off the Nestucca Byway, southeast of Tillamook. Follow US 101 14 miles south of Tillamook and turn left onto Blaine-Nestucca River Road. Follow this road for about 11 ¾ miles. At this point, you should see signs for Clarence Creek Falls pointing towards the left, and directly across the road is another road that leads in the opposite direction. Turn right at this junction, cross the Nestucca River and proceed for a little over 4 miles to an intersection. Turn right again, following the direction of a sign marking "trail". Follow this road downhill to the parking area and trailhead. The Niagara Falls trail departs from here and winds down an easy mile to the falls and a picnic table near its base.
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