Hiking to Wilson Falls in the Oregon Coast Range

Looking for more adventures on the North Oregon Coast?
Go camping on the Kilchis River near Tillamook, home to more great swimming holes. Explore caves at Winema Beach, or hike through coastal forest to stunning Drift Creek Falls.

DIFFICULTY

Easy/Moderate — There is around 300+ feet of elevation gain between the Footbridge Trailhead or the Tillamook Forest Center and Wilson Falls. The trail is generally well maintained, but a few spots are rocky and the area around Wilson Falls is slick where the waterfall crosses the trail. We also encountered a few small blowdowns.

WE HIKED IT

July, 2024, around 2.5 hours hiking from the Footbridge Trailhead to Jones Creek Road, with a break to play in Cedar Creek

CURRENT INFO

Information about hiking from the Footbridge Trail to Wilson River Falls is available on the OregonHikers website and the AllTrails website. This hike is also included in the book 50 Hikes with Kids: Oregon and Washington by Wendy Gorton.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Parking is free at the Footbridge Trailhead. There is a small parking lot, and parking is also available along the road. To reach the trailhead, follow the path alongside the highway west of the parking lot, which leads to the footbridge.
• Near the Tillamook Forest Center, the Jones Creek and Smith Homestead day use areas both offer free parking.
• If you have two cars, consider parking one at each trailhead to facilitate a one-way hike. This is a good option if you have young children, or if you want to spend more time swimming rather than hiking.
• There is a suggested donation of $5 per person to visit the Tillamook Forest Center. The Center features an engaging array of indoor and outdoor exhibits about the region’s ecology and history, as well as live programs.
• A vault toilet and garbage bins are available at the Footbridge Trailhead.
• The Tillamook Forest Center provides restrooms with flush toilets and running water.
• Pets on leash are welcome.
• A trail map and other information is posted at the Footbridge Trailhead.
• The Wilson River Trail stretches a total of 20.6 miles from Keenig Creek east to Elk Creek. There are numerous access points along the trail, and this hike explores a three-mile section in the middle of the trail.
• The Wilson River is home to many popular summer swimming holes. Good options can be found at the Footbridge Trailhead and at the Jones Creek and Smith Homestead day use areas. Looking to escape the crowds? Other access points along Highway 6 or the Wilson River Trail offer more solitude, but some are more challenging to reach. Along the this section of the trail, Cedar Creek also offers a pleasant place to cool off.
• Bring water. No potable water is available at the Footbridge Trailhead.
• Always follow Leave No Trace principles.

HIGHLIGHTS

Wilson River Falls cascades impressively over the rocky cliffs above the Wilson River, crossing the trail as it tumbles to its destination. But before you get too excited, take note that the view of the waterfall from the trail isn’t exactly unobstructed. Regardless, it’s a beautiful spot, and the trail itself is lovely. Despite its proximity to the popular swimming holes of the Wilson River, the trail doesn’t see much foot traffic. The only downside is that the trail is also never far from Highway 6. You won’t see the highway, but you will hear the traffic along much of the hike.

THE KIDS’ TAKE

The hike to Wilson Falls is fun and easy for kids. That was my thinking, but when temperatures soared into the 90s on the day of our visit, my eight-year-old didn’t exactly find it fun or easy. Fortunately, Wilson Falls is a natural air conditioner, and after a chance to cool off, all was once again right with the world. The downhill hike back to the river went much more smoothly than the uphill hike to the falls, and the chance to splash around in Cedar Creek at the end of the hike was the cherry on top.

Although this hike can be done year-round, if you visit on a warm day plan extra time for swimming in the Wilson River. We got off to a late start and missed out on the chance to explore these beautiful swimming holes, something I hope to do on another visit. Just don’t expect to have these swimming holes to yourself — this area is very popular when the sun comes out!

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

The Tillamook Forest Center is located conveniently close to the Wilson River Trail. Stop by to check out the interactive indoor and outdoor exhibits before or after your hike.

As mentioned above, the Wilson River is home to a fabulous array of swimming holes. Take a refreshing dip at the Footbridge Trailhead, Jones Creek, or Smith Homestead day use areas, or head a few miles east of Footbridge to Keenig Creek. Just north of the town of Tillamook, the Kilchis River also offers swimming holes and camping.

Many visitors to the Tillamook State Forest are on their way to or from the town of Tillamook. And what’s a visit to Tillamook without a stop for an ice cream cone from the Tillmook Creamery? Fair warning: expect crowds in summer. Aside from cheese and ice cream, Tillamook is surrounded by natural wonders. Go for a hike at Sitka Sedge, explore beautiful Winema Beach, or take a scenic drive around the Three Capes.

It was early July, and the first heat wave of the summer was in full force. Temperatures in Oregon’s Willamette Valley were expected to soar to 100 degrees. I hoped, however, that cooler temperatures would prevail in the Coast Range. And if low nineties is considered cooler, well, I guess my wish came true… maybe?

After a beautiful drive through the valley and into the forested hills of the Coast Range, we arrived to find the Footbridge Trailhead packed with cars. Not that any of our fellow visitors were hiking, oh no! They were here to take advantage of the deep blue-green swimming holes that populate this stretch of the Wilson River. We followed the footpath a short distance along the highway, then turned right to cross the footbridge that leads to the Wilson River Trail.

From the bridge, Michael watched enviously as a few swimmers jumped from the rocks into the dazzling river below. Despite the crowds, a post-hike swim at this beautiful spot sounded just right.

Not long past the bridge, we came to the Wilson River Trail. A simple wooden sign marked our options. We turned right, heading for Wilson Falls. From here, a one-way hike to the Jones Creek trailhead, home to more fabulous swimming opportunities, is 3.5 miles down the trail.

Here in the shady forest, we had the trail to ourselves. It’s a young forest, having risen from the ashes of the legendary Tillamook Burn that took place in 1933. Now, nearly 100 years later, towering Douglas fir and big leaf maple preside over a thick carpet of sword ferns and trailing blackberry vines. It was so beautiful I could almost forget how close we were to Highway 6. Unfortunately, the hum of passing traffic was there to remind me, out of sight but never fully out of mind.

Now, there was one member of out party who was, shall we say, less enthused about the hike. A combination of factors, including the heat, took a heavy toll on eight-year-old T. While the other adults continued on, I stayed back to wait for T.

At first, the going was rough, but things finally took a turn for the better once we reached the waterfall. Wilson Falls is nature’s own air conditioner, and its cooling breeze had T feeling better in a matter of minutes. The waterfall tumbles directly over the trail, and while its height is impressive, much of the falls is hidden behind maple leaves and ferns. The water flow was moderate on our visit in early July, so the trail was easy to cross.

I had been examining the AllTrails map during our hike thus far, and now that we had reached Wilson Falls a new idea had formed. Rather than hike back to the Footbridge Trailhead, why not continue further along the Wilson River Trail? From the looks of it, there was a road not far ahead. If a few members of our party (namely my brother and our mother) returned to Footbridge, they could drive both cars to meet us there. This would shorten the hike for T, and we might even discover a new swimming hole along the way.

Soon Michael, T, my father, and I were following the trail further up the Wilson River. We found a spot providing access to the riverbank, but decided to keep going to see what lay around the bend. Imagine our surprise when we reached the “road” only to find a grassy, overgrown service road with no public vehicle access. The hike to meet up with the cars would be a little longer than anticipated.

Fortunately, the actual road wasn’t much further down the trail. The extra hiking also led us directly to Cedar Creek, a quiet tributary of the Wilson River. It may lack the deep swimming holes of the Wilson, but it was more than good enough for T, who happily took to the water near Cedar Creek Bridge.

By now, my mom and brother had found temporary parking spots along Jones Creek Road at the gated entrance to the service road, just a couple minutes away from Cedar Creek Bridge. Signage along Jones Creek Road noted that a parking fee was required, however. We didn’t have a permit, so decided it was best not to stay too long.

After giving T a little more swim time, we packed up and followed the service road back to our cars. The hike may not have turned out exactly as planned, but it was still a success. We made it to Wilson Falls, T went for a swim, and we all enjoyed a brief respite from the heat. I would absolutely do it again. But next time, I’d allow more time for swimming in those gorgeous swimming holes…