Watson Falls - Hiking Oregon with Kids

NORTH UMPQUA, OREGON

TALLEST WATERFALL IN SOUTHERN OREGON

293 FEET

.8 MILE LOOP TRAIL

If you are looking for a waterfall hike that isn’t too hard with gorgeous views you must take your kids to Watson Falls. Watson Falls is a pretty short hike at only .8 miles round trip, but there is so much to explore you can spend a bit of time playing in the creek, discovering fairy haunts, and taking a TON of pictures.

The trailhead has lots of parking and a bathroom, as well as picnic tables and informative signs that explain the geology of the area. When we got out of the car the kids quickly ran to the creek and started climbing over rocks and logs, but that is just the start because you have to cross the road to really start the hike up the trail.

As you hike you are along Watson Creek the whole way. Year round it is pretty green, but especially winter to spring it reaches its full mossy-green glory. As you head up the trail it zig zags up until you hit an area along the creek where you can get a perfect view up to the waterfall.

One of the things that we love about this trail is the use of stones as steps that just blend in with your surroundings. We explored every nook and cranny on the way up. When you get to the bridge there’s a photo opportunity with a bench and the waterfall behind you, and then when you cross the bridge you can either loop around and back to your car OR if you go left you can get a close up shot of the falls.

The hike from there is a bit steeper but it’s well worth the extra effort to go to the top. There’s a viewpoint that gets you pretty close and then on the way down we found another trail that wasn’t marked but with a bench. Ilias found some perfect spots to hide from his sister to scare her (an ongoing game) and I decided to head up the trail a bit more to get closer to the falls. It was really muddy so make sure you have good hiking boots on. When I got to where I wanted to be the mist from the waterfall was strong so I did get a bit wet.

After that we headed back down through the lush green forest along the creek, and found some mushrooms growing on the trees.

This trail is rated as moderate and the only reason I agree is because the incline is a bit steep. If you can handle that it’s so short with rests along the way you will be fine. If you get the opportunity, visit in the snow; It’s even more magical. On Olivia’s fairy scale of 1-10 she said it was a 10 so you can just imagine how beautiful and enchanting it is!

If you want to visit more waterfalls Toketee Falls is another pretty easy hike that is not even five minutes up the road. Just be prepared for stairs because there are a couple of spots with LOTS of them. Also nearby is Whitehorse Falls, located in the Whitehorse Campground and Clearwater Falls. Both of these you don’t really have to hike, they are located pretty much where you park so I suggest definitely stopping to see them.

If you want to go Watson Falls is found on the North Umpqua Highway two hours from Medford and one hour from Roseburg located perfectly for a day trip! See how to get to Watson Falls and all of the waterfalls HERE.