Hiking to Tamolitch Blue Pool in the Oregon Cascades

Looking for more adventures near Tamolitch Blue Pool in the Oregon Cascades?
Head to Sahalie and Koosah Falls for another fantastic short hike, or paddle the beautiful waters of Clear Lake.

WE HIKED IT

August, 2025, around 2.5 hours

CURRENT INFO

Information about hiking to Tamolitch Blue Pool is available on the OregonHikers website and the AllTrails website. This hike is also included in the excellent book Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon by Zach Urness and Bonnie Henderson.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Parking is free at the Tamolitch Blue Pool Trailhead. There is a small parking area, and additional parking is available along the gravel road that leads to the trailhead.
• Vault toilets, port-a-potties and garbage bins are available at the trailhead.
• Pets on leash are welcome.
• The McKenzie River Trail stretches a total of 24.5 miles. There are numerous access points along the trail, and this hike explores a two-mile section in the middle. For a longer hike, consider continuing past Tamolitch Blue Pool to Koosah and Sahalie Falls, or even further to Clear Lake.
• Swimming is not recommended at Tamolitch Blue Pool. It’s not outright forbidden, and on a hot day you’re sure to see a few daring divers, but at around 37 degrees Fahrenheit, hypothermia is a real risk. This has led to numerous rescues over the years, and even a few deaths.
• To avoid crowds, go early. Tamolitch Blue Pool is very popular, and summer weekends are especially busy. We arrived around mid-morning on a Friday and were far from alone, but the trail didn’t feel too crowded. On the return trip, we noticed the number of hikers had definitely increased.
• Bring water, hats for shade, and sunscreen when hiking in the summer.
• Good hiking boots or shoes are a must, and hiking poles are recommended. The last mile or so of the trail to Tamolitch Blue Pool is very rocky.
• Always follow Leave No Trace principles.

HIGHLIGHTS

Tamolitch Blue Pool gained fame due to its improbably blue waters. This jewel of the Oregon Cascades is so blue, it seems almost extraterrestrial, like a color this intense couldn’t possibly exist here on earth. It’s hardly surprising that such perfectly pure water would be a siren call for swimmers, but beware. With water temperatures averaging 37 Fahrenheit, hypothermia is a real risk even in the peak of summer.

While Tamolitch Blue Pool may be the star on this hike, the gorgeous McKenzie River plays an award-worthy supporting role. Slow down and savor your time here as you enjoy this incredible natural wonderland.

THE KIDS’ TAKE

The first glimpse of Tamolitch Blue Pool is a true wow moment for kids as well as adults. We were all enthralled by its magnetic beauty. Just be careful that magnetism doesn’t draw anyone to close to the edge! Parents of little ones will want to be especially watchful, as there are many high ledges overlooking the pool with no barriers.

If you dare to climb down to the pool (which means leaving the official trail behind), use caution and do not allow young children to swim. Sure, they can dip a toe in to test the water, but it’s simply too cold and the risk of hypothermia is too great to go all in. Extremely cold water can cause muscles to tense up unexpectedly, affecting even strong swimmers.

The trail itself is pretty fun, with glimpses of the McKenzie River, a few wooden bridges, and some hidey-holes to discover along the rocky trail and in hollow trees. Bear in mind that the last half of the trail leading to the pool is rocky and full of tripping hazards. My younger son took a tumble at one point and wound up with a scraped knee. Kids with good hiking stamina who appreciate a few challenges will definitely get the most enjoyment from this hike.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

The McKenzie River Trail offers many wonderful hiking opportunities. You can string them together for one long trek (in which case I recommend bringing two cars so you can hike one way, then drive back to your starting point), or break it up into a series of short hikes. After our hike to Tamolitch Blue Pool, we did a loop hike past Sahalie and Koosah Falls, which I highly recommend.

I also recommend a visit to Clear Lake, another spring-fed wonder along the McKenzie River Trail. You can hike around the lake, or head out for a paddle. No motors are allowed on the lake, and while the water isn’t quite as cold as Tamolitch Blue Pool, swimming is still not recommended. As one would expect from the name, the water here is improbably lucid on a sunny day. The Clear Lake Resort offers lodging and a pleasant café. You can also camp at Cold Water Cove.

Does all this water leave you longing to take a dip? Suttle Lake is a short drive east on Highway 20. Here, the water is refreshingly cool on a hot summer day and much safer for swimming. The lake is also home to Suttle Lake Lodge, where you will find a few atmospheric eateries and cabins for rent. Suttle Lake offers several campgrounds as well.

For all you campers, this area of the Cascades offers many more campgrounds to explore. We spent three nights at Whispering Falls, located 40 minutes north of the Tamolitch Blue Pool Trailhead. After a day spent hiking and swimming, it’s a lovely place to let the rush of the North Santiam River lull you to sleep.

Is there anything better than a hike through verdant forest alongside a rushing mountain stream? Especially when the destination is a magical sapphire pool fed by hidden springs? As a life-long Pacific Northwesterner, I can think of few better ways to spend a day. Considering the immense popularity of Tamolitch Blue Pool, I believe I am not alone in this regard. But who can blame us? Despite the crowds, this place is a pure delight.

We arrived at mid-morning on a Friday to find a line of parked cars snaking down the road from the trailhead. All things considered, it wasn’t too bad. I imagine that by this time on a Saturday, the line could easily be at least twice as long. Despite its popularity, there is no fee to park at the trailheads along the McKenzie River Trail.

The trail starts off nice and easy, following needle-strewn path through the forest. Sunlight glanced off maple leaves and filtered down through lacy hemlock boughs. As we hiked, we glimpsed the McKenzie River bounding over mossy rocks and fallen logs. We had only just begun, and I could already say I was loving this trail.

We crossed a log bridge, still savoring the easy pace of our forest walk. Little did I know, but that was about to change. The trail soon grew rockier, and with jagged lava rocks constantly popping up along the route, I had to turn my attention to my feet instead of the views. The trail was hillier now, too. We found ourselves constantly going up, then a little down, then more up, then leveling off before another short uphill stretch.

The overall elevation gain, at around 350 feet, is minimal, but that doesn’t mean it’s all smooth sailing. Tripping hazards are everywhere, and my younger son suffered a fall. Fortunately, the damage was nothing worse than a scraped knee, but man, those lava rocks are painful!

Fortunately, the pain he suffered was largely forgotten when we reached our ultimate destination: Tamolitch Blue Pool. We could scarcely believe the intensity of the blue water below us. And it was so clear; the only things obscuring our view of the bottom were the shadows of the surrounding trees. Where the sun shone, we could plainly see the details of every submerged rock.

I will admit to feeling a little nervous as we stared into the water, and I reminded the kids more than once not to stray too near the edge. While there is no official trail to the base of Tamolitch Blue Pool, many hikers make their way down, and some brave (or perhaps foolish?) souls hazard a swim. We saw a few swimmers take to the water as we enjoyed our snack break from above, but no one stayed in for long.

After enjoying our snacks and drinking in the views, it was time to head back. Tempting though it was, we opted not to make the trip down to the water’s edge, as we had another hike planned to Sahalie and Koosah Falls, and also hoped to go out for a paddle on Clear Lake. What can I say, there is truly a wealth of places to explore along the McKenzie River!

As we made our way back to the trailhead, we noticed we were passing more hikers heading out to the pool. Sure enough, the line of cars along the road had grown longer in our absence. Regardless, I can say that hiking the McKenzie River Trail to Tamolitch Blue Pool is truly a joy. I may just have to do it again sometime, and when I do, who knows? Maybe I’ll make it down to the pool and dip my toes in that exceptionally cold, impossibly clear blue water.