MOON FA L L S
P HO T O BY
MIK E SHE A H A N
Take
a Break
Outdoors
T
By Camilla Mortensen
ired of sitting around and watching other people
run (or standing and screaming for them, as the
case may be)? Want to meditate on the joys of J.S.
Bach among Oregon’s greenery? Lane County is
not lacking in places close in or a little way out of
town to take a summer walk on a break from town.
Let’s hypothesize you are really done with the fairies
and glitter of the Oregon Country Fair (which for most of
us never gets old) and the crowds of the Olympic Trials’
fan festival. Where do you go? Head east, out Hwy. 126
or south down I-5 to Cottage Grove. There are waterfalls
calling your name.
off of Hwy. 242, which branches off from Hwy. 126. The
highway, only open from late spring through the fall
thanks to snowfall in the Cascades, is itself a scenic drive
and those seeking views can head all the way to the top of
the McKenzie Pass to check out the Dee Wright Observa-
tory.
If you are a running fan and don’t want to travel too
far and possibly miss a particularly exciting javelin throw,
Pre’s Trail (aka the Steve Prefontaine Memorial Jogging
Trail) makes for a nice run or pleasant saunter. The city
of Eugene says the 4.07-mile trail in the 413-acre Alton
Baker Park was the inspiration of Steve Prefontaine, who
took his vision from visits to similar trails in Scandinavia.
“After his untimely death in May of 1975, in the fall of
1975, a public-private partnership built the trail in Alton
Baker Park as a tribute to him.” You can access the trail
east of Ferry Street Bridge, off of Day Island Road or from
either the Knickerbocker or Autzen footbridge.
Off Hwy. 126, just an hour or so out of town, head-
ing east from Springfield you can catch the spectacular
Sahalie Falls and the equally spectacular Koosah Falls.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, “These falls mark
the terminus of two thick flows of basaltic andesite lava
For those who want their waterfalls without so much
driving, there’s Spirit and Moon Falls just east of Cot-
tage Grove. The waters of Spirit Falls tumble down in a
snowmelt-fueled veil, and the falls are a short hike from
the road. Moon Falls is just a short drive further down the
PRE'S TR AIL
Also close to town is Eugene’s Ridgeline Trail, which
can be accessed by seven main trailheads at the south end
of Eugene. The tallest point of the trail is the popular Spen-
cer Butte at 2,065 feet in elevation (watch out for the rattle-
snakes that can be seen sunning themselves from time to
time). To get to the trailhead at Spencer Butte: From the in-
tersection of 29th Avenue and Willamette Street, go south
on Willamette for 2.1 miles. At 52nd street, continue south
on South Willamette for 1.2 miles. The parking lot entrance
will be on your left at the sign for Spencer Butte Park.
Also close to town and popular with locals is Mount
Pisgah, located in the Howard Buford Recreation Area
near the Coast Fork of the Willamette River. Park at the
Mount Pisgah Arboretum ($4 for a day pass from Lane
County) and wander up Pisgah’s sunny slopes and river-
side trails checking out evergreen forests and oak savan-
nas, encountering bike riders, dog walks and equestrians
as you go. When you get to the top, enjoy views of the val-
ley and run your hands over the bronze sighting pedestal
made by local sculptor Pete Helzer in memory of author
Ken Kesey’s son Jed, killed in a car accident in 1984. Pis-
gah is easily accessed from 34901 Frank Parrish Road.
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June 30, 2016 • eugeneweekly.com
that dammed Clear Lake and moved into the McKenzie
River 3,000 years ago.” Koosah means “sky” and Sahalie
is “heaven” in Chinook jargon, and the falls are indeed
heavenly. You can access the foaming cascades from their
nearby parking lots, or take a hike along the loop trail that’s
part of the McKenzie River National Recreation Trail.
Not as wide and rushing but equally impressive is
Proxy Falls, which you can see from two different per-
spectives via a nearby short 1.5 miles loop hike accessed
same road and is the waterfall opposite of Spirit Falls, as
the water tumbles jaggedly down about 100 feet. To get
there, exit I-5 at Cottage Grove (Exit 174) and drive east
on Row River Road for approximately 19.5 miles. At the
junction of Brice Creek Road #22 and Layng Creek Road
# 17, turn left onto Layng Creek. Follow Road #17 for 9
miles to a junction and bear right with the main road. In
less than 500 feet, you’ll find the Spirit Falls trailhead on
the right. The trail goes downstream for 1/3 of a mile to the
bottom of the falls.