Into the Rainforest! A Fall Hike to Kentucky Falls

Once the first real rains arrive, I'm looking for waterfalls. The creeks begin filling back up, the moss turns shades of green, and the forest gets that cold, damp smell that you just don't get during the dry part of summer. One of the places I'd put near the top of my list for that kind of fall adventure is Kentucky Falls, hidden in the Coast Range east of Florence and Mapleton.

You head away from Highway 101, through Mapleton and into the mountains, where pavement eventually gives way to forest roads and the trees start closing in around you. By the time I reach the trailhead, I'm not thinking about the ocean anymore. I'm surrounded by thick forest, steep hillsides, ferns, moss, and enough water dripping from the branches to remind me that I'm definitely in western Oregon.

The hike begins high in the Coast Range and works its way downhill through the forest. That's something worth remembering because the easy part comes first. You're descending on the way to the waterfalls, which means you're going to earn your way back to the vehicle later.

Instead of spending the first hour grinding uphill, I can settle into the forest and enjoy the walk. The trail winds beneath Douglas fir and western hemlock while sword ferns crowd the hillsides. In fall, everything is wet. Moss covers old logs, mushrooms start appearing beside the trail, and little streams that barely existed during summer begin moving again.

I'll stop to look at mushrooms growing from a rotten stump. I'll notice a giant fallen tree that's become completely covered in moss and ferns. Sometimes I'll just stand there for a minute because the forest is so quiet that all I can hear is water dripping through the canopy.

One of the things that makes this hike especially fun is that Kentucky Falls isn't the only waterfall out here. The trail gives you multiple waterfall experiences, including Upper Kentucky Falls before continuing deeper into the drainage toward the larger falls farther below.

Upper Kentucky Falls is enough to make me stop for a while by itself. Water drops through a narrow forested canyon surrounded by moss, rock, and thick vegetation. During fall, after the creek has been recharged by rain, there's a lot more energy behind it.

The trail continues deeper into the forest, and this is where I start feeling like I'm actually getting somewhere remote. You're down inside the drainage now, surrounded by steep forested slopes, and the outside world feels pretty far away.

Eventually I reach the lower waterfall area, where Kentucky Falls and North Fork Falls come crashing down into the same general canyon.

You've got waterfalls dropping through a deep green canyon, enormous trees surrounding you, and water moving through practically every part of the landscape. After several days of rain, mist hangs around the falls and everything nearby is soaked.

A lot of people think rain ruins a hiking trip. At Kentucky Falls, I think the opposite is true. Obviously, I don't want to be out here during a major windstorm or dangerous weather, but a normal rainy Oregon day gives this forest character. The waterfalls get stronger, the moss gets brighter, and the whole canyon starts looking like the Pacific Northwest people imagine before they ever visit.

I also start noticing mushrooms everywhere this time of year. I might see tiny caps pushing through the moss, larger mushrooms hiding beneath ferns, or fungi growing directly from fallen timber. I don't pick anything unless I know harvesting is allowed and I'm completely confident in identification. Most of the time, I'm perfectly happy taking pictures and leaving them where they are.

Because the hike descends toward the falls, the return trip is uphill. It's not something that should scare reasonably prepared hikers away, but I save some energy and water for the climb back.

I also wear real hiking boots with good traction. Wet roots, mud, fallen leaves, and mossy rocks can turn a perfectly normal trail into a skating rink. I'm not trying to prove anything out here. If a section is slick, I slow down.

A rain jacket is obvious, but I also carry an extra layer, food, water, a small first-aid kit, and offline navigation. I don't count on cell service in the Coast Range. I also like having dry socks and another pair of shoes waiting in the vehicle because after several hours in a wet Oregon forest, putting on dry socks feels like winning the lottery.

The drive deserves some planning too. Kentucky Falls is reached using remote forest roads, and conditions can change. Rain, fallen trees, road damage, and seasonal issues can affect access, so I check current Forest Service information before heading out rather than assuming the route I used before will still be open.

I also give myself plenty of daylight. Fall afternoons disappear surprisingly fast in the Coast Range. Even before sunset, the heavy tree canopy can make the forest feel dark.

I'd rather start early and have extra time at the waterfalls than find myself hurrying back through a dark, wet forest.

If I'm going to spend a fall day chasing waterfalls on the Oregon Coast, I want it to feel like an adventure.

Kentucky Falls definitely does it for me.

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