Flowers, a bridge, and a disappearing river

Central cascades snowpack remains historically low and suggests that early June could be the start of Willamette National Forest’s great mosquito gauntlet – a couple weeks early traditionally. If you have not experienced that gauntlet, don’t … find another hike.

I headed to Mckenzie River trail to add the lower, wild section downriver from Koosah Falls to Deer Creek Road – some of this had been closed to fire and just reopened with new bridge; combined with the Clear Lake hike recently, this wraps up the best parts of Mckenzie River trail both directions in 2026.

A bald eagle flew downriver looking for breakfast as I started … a good omen. Typical cascade song birds were plentiful with most Merlin recordings tagging >10 species each time. Sadly, the peregrine falcons from a couple years ago were neither seen nor heard around the rock escarmpent.

The wildflowers are nearly over but still enough to catch your eye just right

On the way upriver, nobody was at Blue Pool … just me. On the return, there were 50 people.

Upriver from Blue Pool, the river disappears into a bog and goes for almost 3 miles underground. Here’s what that ‘bog’ looks like.

After Blue Pool where the water surfaces forming a huge bowl of crystal clear blue water, the Mckenzie ‘restarts’ above ground.

Streams enter the river the entire way, some old dried out streams still have bridges. Most bridges are the 1 log with a railing, but his bridge is unique – like a Redwoods bridge.

Standing on those bridges provides different perspective.

While hiking Mckenzie River trail may not give cascade mountain vistas, the Mckenzie River seldom disappoints – constantly singing in rapids and falls, and never the same. Those sections (few) when the river disappears, so do the other humans leaving the hiker with the birds and trees. This hike was probably a week too late to catch the wild rhody peak given the warm weather, wildflowers still sparkled along the path. But when a bald eagle meets me as i start walking the river, the Mckenzie was the perfect hike.

The Route

Started at Deer Creek Road (this avoid the lower, downriver section thru the resort and cabins, as well as those few sections hugging Hwy 126), and went upriver past Blue Pool, and then further to Koosah Falls. Then, back same way downriver.

Trail conditions were perfect once I figured out that first section at Deer Creek – maps are off! The trail crosses the river’s bridge on Deer Creek Road, and then back over on the new bridge to the other side – I spent 15 minutes figuring this out – stupidly. A few muddy spots, but nothing trail runners couldn’t handle.

Human hikers were very few outside the sections around the falls or Blue Pool. Bike traffic was more – with one group of 8 women – several first timers on Mckenzie. All were polite with good trail etiquette.

Gear Closet

My Gossamer Gear Grit daypack blew a seam on one side-water bottle pocket. Quite disappointing as the pack has <500 miles. I will create a detailed photo-based description and send to Gossamer for their comment / fix ideas.

Data Geek Cellar

• Shoes: Altra Lone Timp 6 – Currex Insole, T-Form insole pad
• Pack: Gossamer Gear Grit
• Upper Layers: Lightweight baselayer
• Upper shell: REI Sahara Shirt for 1/2
• Trekking Poles: Gossamer Gear
• Approximate Times: hiking by 06:15
• Carbon ratio: 0.83 hours (2.5 hours driving: hours outdoors 8.3); YTD = 138 hours banked
• Miles hiked YTD: 628.13
• Notes:
  • Mckenzie River trail is fast except the section before “blue pool”

All Trails data