Proxy Falls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Proxy Falls |
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Proxy Falls in the Summer
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| Location | Lane County, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 44°09′42″N 121°55′39″W / 44.1616°N 121.92743°W |
| Type | Cascade, Plunge |
| Elevation | 3,286 ft (1,002 m) |
| Total height | 226 ft (69 m) |
| Number of drops | 1 |
| Average width | 60 ft (18 m) |
| Average flow rate |
50 cu ft/s (1.4 m3/s) |
Proxy Falls, also known as Lower Proxy Falls, is a stunning waterfall located in Oregon. It's found in the Willamette National Forest, near Belknap Springs, Oregon. This amazing waterfall gets its water from springs on the side of North Sister mountain. It then plunges into a deep canyon close to McKenzie Pass.
Proxy Falls is special because it's a mix of two types of waterfalls: a cascade and a plunge waterfall. A cascade waterfall flows over a series of rocks, while a plunge waterfall drops straight down. The main drop of Proxy Falls is about 226 feet (69 m) tall. This makes it one of the highest plunge waterfalls in all of Oregon!
How Proxy Falls Was Formed
Proxy Falls sits at the end of a special type of valley called a hanging valley. This valley was shaped by huge sheets of ice, known as glaciers, about 6,000 years ago. Imagine giant ice rivers slowly carving out the land!
Both Proxy Falls and its smaller neighbor, Upper Proxy Falls, tumble down cliffs that were cut by these ancient glaciers. Around the waterfalls, you'll see large areas of hardened lava. This lava came from small volcanoes called cinder cones near North Sister. The lava filled the bottom of the valley.
What's really cool is that the water from Proxy Falls seems to disappear! It plunges into the ground, soaking into the porous (meaning it has tiny holes) soil below. This makes it look like the water has no way out on the surface.
Exploring the Trails at Proxy Falls
You can visit Proxy Falls by walking on an unpaved trail. This trail forms a loop through areas of lava rock and thick forests filled with tall evergreen trees. Along the way, you'll find great spots to view both Proxy Falls and the smaller Upper Proxy Falls.
The trail starts right off Highway 242 and is about 1.6 miles long. It's considered an easy hike, perfect for a fun outdoor adventure!
- If you walk around the loop in a counterclockwise direction, you'll reach Proxy Falls first.
- If you go the other way, you'll head towards Upper Proxy Falls.
To get right to the bottom of Proxy Falls, there's a path that branches off the main trail. But be ready to cross the Proxy river to get there! Upper Proxy Falls gets its water from a different stream, very close to Proxy creek.
