Drift Creek Falls Before the Landslide...

A major rock slide occurred recently at Drift Creek Falls, a popular waterfall in the Siuslaw National Forest east of Lincoln City announced Forest Service officials. Previous to the rock slide, the falls exhibited characteristics of a very scenic plunge pool waterfall. It has now taken on a form more similar to a Cascade type of waterfall.

The sound of the huge basalt rock face coming down all at once must have been deafening and quite amazing to see," said George Buckingham, District Ranger of the Hebo Ranger District. "The softer rock at the base of the waterfall, which was eroded and undercut over time to form the plunge pool, eventually collapsed under pressure and has now added huge blocks of rock to the base of the waterfall."

The "new" Drift Creek Falls can still be viewed and accessed from the Drift Creek Falls Trail which has just recently re-opened following the completion of a project to re-pave the parking lot and install new restrooms.

"It was quite remarkable that the rock slide occurred at the same time the trail was closed to public use to improve the trailhead facility," said Buckingham. "We're just glad that no one was injured."

The public is being asked to avoid the off-trail areas directly underneath the waterfall and the slope where the rock slide occurred due to the potential of additional falling rock.

Drift Creek Falls after the landslide...