Pets allowed
Allowed
Elevation Gain
144.00 ft (43.89 m)
Trail type
There-and-back
Distance
0.60 mi (0.97 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

University Falls is an often overlooked yet impressive falls in Tillamook State Forest. Falling 55 feet over a wide basalt cliff, this beautiful cascade is accessible by a short and gentle trail any time of the year. While the route to the trailhead can be somewhat difficult to find due to multiple turns on logging roads, it is still a short distance off of the Wilson River Highway (Highway 6). Enjoy the ambiance of red alder and the roar of University Falls as Elliott Creek rushes by. 

Note that the trail may be closed periodically and without warning due to active logging operations in the area.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

Not Required

Pros

Short trail. Impressive wide cascading falls.

Cons

Short trail. A few logging roads. Active logging in the area.

Trailhead Elevation

1,745.41 ft (532.00 m)

Features

Waterfalls
Old-growth forest

Typically multi-day

No

Location

Comments

03/09/2019
This was a nice, easy hike. There was still snow on the trail and on the road to the trailhead. A van got stuck in the snow so 4wd would help. The falls were pretty with the snow and ice!
05/25/2018
Skip it. It's a long, dusty drive to a microscopic hike (0.6 mile). Much of the view is clear cut and blowdowns obscure a decent shot of the falls.

Also, the trail is crisscrossed by dirt bike routes, permeating the forest with the shrill whine of combustion engines and the smell of exhaust. Yee-haw.
06/03/2017
A few large fallen trees are now at the base of the falls, but it is a beautiful sight nonetheless! Definitely worth the quick walk to see.
The falls were pretty steady but another local trail-goer mentioned that in Summer it slows down much more, so I'd imagine Winter & Spring are the best times to see it.
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