Drift Creek Falls

Photographer: G. Price

Return to HWY 101

Home Page

GPS - Trail Start, 270m el.

GPS - Drift Crk Falls, 300m el.

Acrophobics and vertigo sufferers beware:
To view the falls you must walk a very high suspension bridge.
How high? The waterfall is appr. 75 feet high (22.9 meters)

Drift Creek Falls is east of Lincoln City.

CAUTION: Road leading to the falls is narrow and has many curves that make
it hard to see oncoming traffic. Approach all curves with caution.

There are two entry points to access the falls. The first is below.

Directions - from Highway 101:

Four miles south of Lincoln City, turn east on Drift Creek Road
(the turnoff will be between mileposts 119 and 120).
After nearly 1.5 miles turn right at the T-junction.
0.3 miles from the T-junction look for a Y-junction with a narrow one lane paved road on the left.
Fork left up the hill. This will be the road to the Drift Creek Trail (Drift Creek Camp Road, Forest Road 17).
Follow all signs that say "Drift Creek TRAIL / HWY 18".
Ten miles from the Y-junction is the parking area for the Falls trail.
There is a vault toilet and Day Use Fee applies.
(Northwest Forest Pass can be purchased at sporting good stores).
The path to Drift Creek Falls from the parking area is appr. 1.5 miles.
Path is fairly flat and easy to traverse.

As the sign at the trail site shows below, there is a second entry point to get to the falls.

Directions - from Highway 18:

Just before mileage marker 5, turn south on N. Bear Creek Road
After approximately one mile follow signs for Drift Creek Trail. Road will
have a short section where it is gravel (with that washboard affect). Then it will
become a one lane paved road with turnoffs.
Nine miles from the Highway 18 is the parking area for the Falls trail.

Can you see the suspension bridge leading from the top of the falls? High, isn't it?

A better view of the suspension bridge (150 feet long). Getting nervous?

URL: https://www.oregonwaterfalls.net/drift.htm