CROWFOOT FALLS - SWIMMING & EXPLORING IN PARADISE
Have we said how much we love living in southern Oregon? It seems like around every corner there is another gem for us to enjoy and explore as a family.
We had a very hectic week followed by a very busy Friday and Saturday so when Sunday came around we wanted a low key, relaxing day away from home (so we wouldn’t do chores all day). We thought of heading to South Umpqua Falls but didn’t want to the drive the two hours it takes from Medford so we decided to head to Crowfoot Falls because it is only one hour away.
When you get there, there is a small dirt lot on your left with a no campfire sign. That is where you will park. The main trail will be on your right. We were lucky enough to be the first ones there so we chose a spot that gave us a full view of the falls with a shallow spot for Olivia to wade around in and play. The kids didn’t wait one second to jump into the chilly waters. There was so much to explore, we were there for three hours and still wasn’t enough time for the kids!
Ilias and his cousin Caleb immediately swam across Crowfoot Creek to explore the cascading pools and waterfalls ledge. They had such a great time swimming, climbing, rock skipping and just having fun adventuring.
Olivia had fun right by our spot swimming around and treasure hunting. She collected the teal and red rocks, played with the waterfall bubbles, and just thoroughly enjoyed herself. Olivia and I explored, waded and played together and then we took the trail to the top of the hill and took a short, steep trail to get across the reservoir. When you go across the reservoir make sure you have good shoes with traction because it was very slippery and you don’t want to be thrown over the falls. Once we got over to the other side we explored the cascading pools. The boys had sat in them and let the falls take them but they were a little rough for Olivia so we opted out this time until we bring her life jacket next time.
It turned out to be a perfect day for two exhausted parents that just needed some down time.
If you want to go, it is a very easy drive to get there on highway 62 past Shady Cove in Trail almost when you get to Joseph H. Stewart Park. Crowfoot Road will be on the right. When you get to Crowfoot Road you are driving through a residential area, so PLEASE respect the speed limits and serenity of where they are living. There are no bathrooms so be prepared by going before you get there and parking is minimal so it does get crowded at times, you might have to get creative with where you settle yourselves. It is definitely worth getting a picture of at the very least.
There are also no garbage cans. When we got to the parking area and down to the creek there was quite a bit of trash so we did trash pick-up while we were there and when we left we picked up a whole grocery bags worth. We live by the rule; leave any area we visit better then when we got there. We hope that you do too.
Southern Oregon is a beautiful place because of the many efforts of our community to keep it that way. It takes all of us so let’s all do our part! Have a great rest of the summer. Fall is almost here!
