Niagara Falls - Cape Kiwanda 4/20

[BrianEdwards]

Had a nice Easter Sunday with the wife and son. We took a slow crooked drive along Nestucca River Rd to Niagra Falls.

There was only one car at the trailhead when we arrived. Trail was in great shape.



Trail



One of the many benches



After only 0.8 miles we reached the first falls



We could see Niagra just around the bend. Pano:



Then we went to Niagara. Nice waterfall with perfect flow and not a lot of leaves yet.



Soon we headed back to the car, and then on to Pacific City to check out Cape Kiwanda.

Cape Kiwanda was as nice as I heard it was. So many things to photograph.



Or just sit and admire the beauty of nature



Almost to sunset



Sunset



All in all a great day, thanks for looking.

[pdxgene]

I think one car at that trailhead is considered a crowd.. Though there are more signs up than there used to be. I don't suppose the potholes in the road have been magically filled? That is such a nice way to the coast and back if you want to avoid traffic..

[BrianEdwards]

Actually the road to the trailhead was almost perfect, maybe a couple potholes. I was surprised at how good it was, the gravel looked relatively fresh. When we got back up to the car, there were 8 vehicles including ours, I was like 'apparently we left at the right time.'

Regarding the nestucca way to the coast, it's a good way for a single driver, both my passengers were car sick by the time we reached Niagra. We averaged about 24 miles an hour, but it is such a windy road, unrelenting curvature.

[forestkeeper]

Those are really nice photos, Brian. Especially like that last one. Great long exposures!

[sprengers4jc]

Great photos of Cape Kiwanda and of a waterfall that we didn't even know existed! But I can't say I will ever visit it, and let me share why .

Before we moved here from NC seven years ago, I flew out in July for some job interviews in Tillamook and had one in Newberg as well. So I unintentionally ended up on that road once when Google Maps routed me from Tillamook to Newberg via Blaine Road, NF85 and Nestucca Access Road (although I think it had a different name at the time). I remember feeling a vague sense of unease when my tires hit gravel road from the pavement and then I saw a group of people camping who can be best described as straight out of a scene from Deliverance or Wrong Turn. I asked if the direction I was headed truly would take me to Newberg and they assured me it would (as they always do, in any good horror movie). Off I went in the Subaru I had rented (thank God!) and the road climbed higher and higher and it seemed to be some sort of logging road. I was tempted to turn around but decided to trust Google Maps and the folks who said it would take me there (James Kim tragedy, anyone?). It was beautiful but a pretty remote area and I was thankful again when my tires hit pavement once more.

So, needless to say, I don't know that I would ever do that drive again .

[BrianEdwards]

Thanks guys and gals

@ Sprengers: That road is definitely wild. I'll probably only do it this one time. But getting to the waterfall from the west is actually really easy off Hwy 101. It's far enough west to avoid most of the the Nestucca. The long crooked section is between the waterfall and Carlton.

[Rustygoat]

Nice pictures Brian! Nice that you got to get the family out for an adventure. On the Niagara Falls Trail.... NW Waterfall Survey has the first waterfall tagged as Niagara Falls because it is close to Niagara Point. The other more scenic waterfall is called Pheasant Creek Falls. Sorry for sounding like a waterfall geek.

[BrianEdwards]

Doh! Thanks for the correction. I bet I'm in the majority who assumes the best of the two waterfalls, which is also at the end of the trail, is Niagara.

[chiefWright]

Great photos of Cape Kiwanda and of a waterfall that we didn't even know existed! But I can't say I will ever visit it, and let me share why .

Before we moved here from NC seven years ago, I flew out in July for some job interviews in Tillamook and had one in Newberg as well. So I unintentionally ended up on that road once when Google Maps routed me from Tillamook to Newberg via Blaine Road, NF85 and Nestucca Access Road (although I think it had a different name at the time). I remember feeling a vague sense of unease when my tires hit gravel road from the pavement and then I saw a group of people camping who can be best described as straight out of a scene from Deliverance or Wrong Turn. I asked if the direction I was headed truly would take me to Newberg and they assured me it would (as they always do, in any good horror movie). Off I went in the Subaru I had rented (thank God!) and the road climbed higher and higher and it seemed to be some sort of logging road. I was tempted to turn around but decided to trust Google Maps and the folks who said it would take me there (James Kim tragedy, anyone?). It was beautiful but a pretty remote area and I was thankful again when my tires hit pavement once more.

So, needless to say, I don't know that I would ever do that drive again .

Oh, I so get that feeling. I have a large format map of the Tillamook forest roads, and it looks like worms in a compost pile.

This map has given me a recurring nightmare where I'm captured, bound and blindfolded, thrown in the back of a truck on a long, bumpy ride, then rolled out on the ground as my captor whispers in my ear "you're somewhere in the Tillamook Forest!" and drives off.

You can also get to Niagara/Pheasant from Willamina Creek to Gilbert Creek, then NF-14 over to Niagara Creek. But by far the most certain is the Nestucca River Road from 101. And those "Deliverance" guys? Aw, shucks. Just good local color.

Myself, I try to never go onto forest roads without current paper maps from the local jursdiction (NFS, BLM, other)

[sprengers4jc]

Oh, I so get that feeling. I have a large format map of the Tillamook forest roads, and it looks like worms in a compost pile.

This map has given me a recurring nightmare where I'm captured, bound and blindfolded, thrown in the back of a truck on a long, bumpy ride, then rolled out on the ground as my captor whispers in my ear "you're somewhere in the Tillamook Forest!" and drives off.

You can also get to Niagara/Pheasant from Willamina Creek to Gilbert Creek, then NF-14 over to Niagara Creek. But by far the most certain is the Nestucca River Road from 101. And those "Deliverance" guys? Aw, shucks. Just good local color.

Myself, I try to never go onto forest roads without current paper maps from the local jursdiction (NFS, BLM, other)

Haha! I love it! And yes, now I know better and never venture forth without proper map in hand. GPNF is just as bad. My map of that area is easily 3 feet wide! But the worst thing of all is I still find it difficult to trust Google after all of that. Or "Deliverance" guys, for that matter .