A new trail, at least for me. It doesn’t happen often in the Pacific Northwest. I was standing on a 150-foot suspension bridge, swaying slightly in the breeze. It gave me an incredible up-close view of Drift Creek Falls. It was exploding out of a high slot in a basalt cliff, dropping 100 feet to the rocks below. The dramatic crashing of the water in the midst of a old-growth rainforest stirred a deep sense of true wilderness.

As the crow flies, I was only eight miles from Lincoln City on the western slopes of the Coastal Mountains. The trail was less than four miles roundtrip and very well maintained. The return hike via the north trail was dominated with large old-growth hemlock trees, many times larger than the alpine hemlocks I enjoy in the upper elevations of the Cascade Mountains. Truly a treat to see.

Drift Creek Falls

Suspension bridge above Drift Creek Falls

Covered bridge on Drift Creek near Highway 18

Drift Creek

Lichen and moss along the trail

Bottom of Drift Creek Falls