Spirit Falls, Willamette National Forest, Oregon

Located deep in the Umpqua National Forest along Alex Creek in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, Spirit Falls makes up in beauty what it lacks in size. This forty-foot tall waterfall cascades down a moss-covered bulge of rock and breaks into a wide apron of spray before dropping into the pool at its base. Well known for its abundance of waterfalls, the Umpqua National Forest takes its name from the local word for “thunder water”, or more specifically, the sound water makes when it rushes through canyons and gorges and over rocks. This word aptly describes the nearby Umpqua River as well as this small creek.