ROADTRIP BY THE UMPQUA NATIONAL FOREST (OREGÓN)

After an intense day of much of the Oregon coast, we deserved a quiet and relaxed stage. And that is what we had from Bandon to Chiloquin, where we stayed to visit the Crater Lake the next day. So we headed back to the interior of Oregon and Umpqua National Forest, which gave us some interesting surprise. We tell you how was this stage of the roadtrip.

This is the map of tour of the Umpqua Nationa Forestin Oregon:

Although before getting into flour, first we spend a little while to discover the curious town of Bandon. And we really stay with our mouths open! When we thought that the Oregon coast could no longer offer us anything new, we found this little gem. It is a town of just 3,000 friendly and relaxed inhabitants, nestled right on a cliff that watches how powerful it rises from the ocean and threatening numerous rock formations. To watch this show there are two viewpoints: Coquille Point and the Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint. In addition the center of the town is a wonderful and old village of wooden houses and a handful of cafes and restaurants. For us it is definitely placed in our top10 of the roadtrip in Oregon!

But it is time to leave, and the road awaits us. So we loaded the backpacks in the trunk and headed towards Roseburg by narrow and winding county roads. There we take Highway 138, which has no less bends, but this is a scenic route that traces the wild North Umpqua River into the Umpqua National Forest.

This section is known as the waterfall road, and you will pass through more than 15 of them on your trip. Although the most representative are the Toketee Falls and the Watson falls. The first ones are famous for the basalt formations that the river has modeled in its fall, and they are visited after an easy-to-walk path, just 600 meters, and the views at medium height in front of it are excellent.

To reach the Watson Falls, the third highest in Oregon with 90 meters, the trail is approximately 500 meters, and will leave you at the foot of the waterfall. Later you can also make a quick stop at modest Clearwater falls.

Curiosity: when you arrive at the Toketee Falls parking lot you will see a huge metal tube with lots of holes where water is losing. It is a transfer system that diverts part of the river's flow to a power plant below.

There is a stop that will please those who enjoy nature in its wild state, without tourists around or commercial circuses. In the Umpqua National Forest there are some geothermal pools (hot spring) completely natural. They are formations in the rock as a bathtub, at different heights and that are filled with warm hot springs (apparently those above are hotter than those below). They are located about 500 meters from the parking lot (in winter the access road is cut and you will have to walk 2 km more).

We did not go, but it is a very popular place to enjoy a fun alternative plan. We continue our roadtrip through the Umpqua National Forest, seeing some deer in the woods, crossing roads with pretty landscapes, and enjoying a quiet day.

The last stop of the day was at the Diamond lake, a jewel in the Umpqua National Forest. The lake is a destination frequented by locals on vacation, and the environment is simply spectacular. It is nestled in the middle of the Cascade Range, between Mount Bailey (2,553 m) to the west and Mount Thielsen (2,799 m) to the east. When we visited it, at the end of May, these mountains still had their snowy peaks, so you can imagine the beautiful panorama.

We follow our route to Chiloquin, for straight laaaargas, which seem to never end. In Chiloquin we spend the night preparing for the visit to Crater Lake the next day. This is how we finished our tour by car through the Umpqua Nationa Forest, an interesting visit on a roadtrip through Oregon.