Drift Creek Falls

The hike to Drift Creek Falls is pretty mild. When we arrived, there were 3 other cars in the lot; when we let there were at least 20. We've been to this trail at least twice in the past - 2002 and again in 2006 - no where near the traffic on the trail that we saw today.

This weather today was overcast, but very mild. 60s. In the valley, it was in the 80s. This trail is 10 miles up in the hills from Lincoln City. From the trail head it is 10 miles to Hwy 101 (you come out by Taft area); and 9 miles to Hwy 18.

The trail leads to a suspension bridge that spans 240 feet, is 100 up in the air; 29-foot tall towers on anchor either end. Materials, including concrete, were mobilized to the site via helicopter, and the mainspan was erected from a skyline, more than 100 feet above the canyon floor.

The bridge is dedicated to Scott Paul, a US Forset Service trail builder who envisioned and pursued building the bridge, and lost his life in a rigging accident during its construction. The bridge dedication in 1998, written by his close friend and owner of the company that finished the bridge, is well worth a read.

Drift Creek was named for the accumulations of driftwood on its banks. The trail descends about 400 feet. At trailhead, elevation is 900 ft above sea level, at the bottom, 530 ft. The falls drop 80 ft from top to bottom. Drift Creek Wilderness generally receives some 120 inches (3,000 mm) of rain per year, which leads to a very lush environment. In autumn, chinook and coho salmon, as well as steelhead and cutthroat trout use Drift Creek, a tributary of the Alsea River, to spawn.

Natives of the Alsea tribe used to hunt and gather berries in Drift Creek Wilderness and the surrounding area. Salmonberries, an orange berry resembling a raspberry, are important food for Native Americans. It is one of the numerous berries gathered to incorporate into pemmican. It is said that the name came about because of the their fondness for eating the berries with half-dried salmon roe.