Tufti Park Hike

Overview

The Fall Creek Dam was built in 1966 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers primarily as a control for downstream flooding into the Willamette Valley, but there are various state park and Corps of Engineers recreation sites along the lake’s shores. The only real hiking trail here heads through the Tufti Natural Area near the dam wall and connects with Tufti Park at a swimming hole on Fall Creek downstream from the dam. Pass through the kissing gate at the parking area, and hike through a mixed forest dominated by Douglas-fir, big-leaf maple, hazel, and vine maple. The trail heads gently downhill and reaches an unsigned junction. For a diversion, turn left here, and follow this somewhat overgrown trail, keeping right at another junction, to cross a footbridge and hike above a willow wetland. You’ll reach a gravel road, where you can turn right to walk down to a security fence. From here, you can see the dam’s adult fish collection facility. This structure includes a fish ladder for the local population of spring Chinook, which ascend the ladder and then wind up in a tank, from which they are loaded onto a truck and taken upstream of the dam to be released. Return up the road and take the same trail back to the unsigned junction. From here, continue on down the trail through thimbleberry, sword fern, trailing blackberry, and salal. Pass through a grove of western red-cedars, and squeeze around a gate to reach a road near the Lower Tufti Trailhead. You can walk past the restrooms here to Fall Creek where it flows past large rocks at a swimming hole. This can be a busy spot on warm summer weekends, but is usually very quiet at other times. Return back up the trail to your car when you’re ready.

Trail Stats

Photos

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