Nestucca River

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The river high into the headwaters

The Nestucca River is a river, approximately 50 miles (80 km) long, on the Pacific coast of northwest Oregon in the United States. It drains a forested timber producing area of the Northern Oregon Coast Range west of Portland.

It rises in the mountains of western Yamhill County. Not far from its headwaters the river is impounded to create McGuire Reservoir, the primary water source for the city of McMinnville. It flows generally west through Bureau of Land Management land and the Siuslaw National Forest. It flows past Beaver, then southwest past Hebo and Cloverdale. It enters Nestucca Bay from the north on the Pacific Ocean at Pacific City. The Little Nestucca River, does not join the Nestucca but enters Nestucca Bay from the south.

1 Fishing
2 Alder Glen Falls
3 Lower Clarence Creek Falls
4 Upper Clarence Creek Falls
5 Niagara Falls
6 Pheasant Falls
7 Testament Falls
8 References
9 See also

[edit] Fishing

Only the headwaters are in public ownership - being managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management - with most of the primary fishing areas located on private lands. The river offers a variety of boat fishing opportunities - from easy to difficult - and has 2 boat ramps and about 8 bank slides. Salmon and steelhead are most prevalent in the fall and winter. This river also contains wild coho salmon that are listed as a Threatened Species under the Endangered Species Act.^[1]

Boasting a spring and fall Chinook salmon fishery along with both summer and winter steelhead runs, the Nestucca River is as productive a stream, from an angler’s perspective. Spring Chinook enter the Nestucca beginning from late April into summer, although the season closes for them in mid-June. Peak season is usually mid-May until the season’s end. Fall Chinook arrive by September, holding in tidewater until the first fall freshets send them upriver, generally from October through December. This run usually peaks in mid- to late October. The Chinook runs are a mix of hatchery and wild fish. Both the winter and summer steelhead runs are made up primarily of hatchery fish, although wild fish are present as well. The summer run goes from June into January, peaking in early to mid-July, then again with the fall rains. The winter run lasts from mid-November through May. The hatchery fish peak in late December, while the wild fish tend to come on strong in late March or April. Spring Chinook run in the 18- to 20-pound range while fall fish run a bit larger at 25 to 28 pounds. Steelhead weigh anywhere from 10 to 12 pounds. There are also chum salmon in the Nestucca, but because of the run’s weakness, angling for these fish is no longer allowed. Key Species: Chinook salmon, steelhead. ^[2]

[edit] Alder Glen Falls

**Alder Glen Falls**

Coordinates	45°15′53″N 123°34′40″W / 45.26484, -123.57780
Total height	30 feet
Total width	10 feet

This unofficially named and relatively minor waterfall varies considerably seasonally. In the winter, the falls veil out over a broad ledge, spilling 35 feet almost directly into the Nestucca River. In the summer, the creek runs much lower and the falls can become almost totally obstructed by the surrounding growth. When the Nestucca River is running low enough, fording the river to the falls is trivial, but in the winter months, the falls are easily visible from within the Alder Glen Campground.

The falls are located off the Nestucca Byway, southeast of Tillamook. Follow US 101 14 miles south of Tillamook and turn left onto Blaine-Nestucca River Road. Follow this road for about 17 miles to the Alder Glen Campground. Park where room is available, trying not to encroach on any campers. The falls can be best seen from a campsite about 2/3 of the way through the loop road.

Contrary to initial impressions of this waterfall, this is an exceptionally photogenic locale given the right conditions. Wide angle compositions work very well, with the river in the foreground. In the summer, the falls won't be nearly as attractive, and the scene may lose some of its appeal.^[3]

[edit] Lower Clarence Creek Falls

**Lower Clarence Creek Falls**

Coordinates	45°15′48″N 123°38′24″W / 45.26322, -123.63989
Total height	55 feet
Total width	10 feet

The Forest Service has advertised Clarence Creek Falls by sign along the Nestucca River Road. What neither the Forest Service has done, nor does the book “A Waterfall Lover’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest”, is identify which of the two waterfalls along Clarence Creek is intended this designation. Topographic maps delimitate the different falls, but the lower of the two falls is near impossible to see, especially if not watching carefully. The lower falls consists of three sliding steps, totaling about 60 feet. A significant amount of foreshortening doesn’t allow the falls’ size to truly be illustrated, and a twist in the gorge at the falls obstructs the upper tiers from being seen from all but a few perspectives. Because the upper and lower falls of Clarence Creek are located within about 500 feet of one another, I’m designating them as lower and upper. Unfortunately neither fall is easy to see because there are no developed trails or viewpoints, this being the vastly more difficult to see.

The falls are located off the Nestucca Byway, southeast of Tillamook. Follow US 101 14 miles south of Tillamook and turn left onto Blaine-Nestucca River Road. Follow this road for about 11 ¾ miles. At this point, you should see signs for Clarence Creek Falls pointing towards the left, and directly across the road is another road that leads in the opposite direction. Turn left, following the sign, and continue uphill for almost a mile to a turnout at the top of Upper Clarence Creek Falls. The easiest way to find the proper access point for the lower falls is to backtrack from this point to the next turnout downstream. The falls are very hard to see from the road, so a good sense of the terrain helps. Once you find the location, it’s a matter of scrambling down the steep slope to the creek. To those of you eyeing this one for a visit, I caution you strongly that the descent down to the falls is very steep, potentially quite dangerous and definitely not recommended for the weekend warrior. ^[4]

[edit] Upper Clarence Creek Falls

**Upper Clarence Creek Falls**

Coordinates	45°15′51″N 123°38′22″W / 45.26406, -123.63933
Total height	40 feet
Total width	50 feet

The Forest Service has advertised Clarence Creek Falls by sign along the Nestucca River Road. What neither the Forest Service has done, nor does the book “A Waterfall Lover’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest”, is identify which of the two waterfalls along Clarence Creek is intended of this designation. While it isn’t totally clear which of the two falls the forest service is designating (this is the obvious target), the aforementioned book lists this 40 foot veil as Clarence Creek Falls. Because the two falls are located within about 500 feet of one another, I’m designating them as lower and upper. Unfortunately neither fall is easy to see because there are no developed trails or viewpoints, but of the two, this one is easier to view – at least when the trees are not leafed out.

When the falls are running high, there are two problems with shooting the falls from the bottom. One, spray is an issue almost everywhere. Two, because the only unobstructed views of the falls are literally 15 feet away from the cliff, a fisheye lens is necessary.^[5]

[edit] Niagara Falls

**Niagara Falls**

Coordinates	45°12′23″N 123°37′44″W / 45.20644, -123.62877
Total height	115 feet
Total width	15 feet

Far from the grandiosity of its eastern counterpart, Oregon’s Niagara Falls evokes a sense of serenity as it sprays about 100 feet over a dark basalt escarpment. To clear up some common confusion, Niagara Falls isn’t on Niagara Creek, but rather Pheasant Creek, and neighboring Pheasant Falls lies on an unnamed tributary. Because Pheasant Creek loses much of its volume in the warmer months, this is definitely one to visit in the winter and spring. By the end of July, the falls will be a shadow of their true self – though admittedly much better to take a shower under. The falls were named for nearby Niagara Point, rather than its similarity (or lack thereof) to its eastern counterpart.

The falls are located off the Nestucca Byway, southeast of Tillamook. Follow US 101 14 miles south of Tillamook and turn left onto Blaine-Nestucca River Road. Follow this road for about 11 ¾ miles. At this point, you should see signs for Clarence Creek Falls pointing towards the left, and directly across the road is another road that leads in the opposite direction. Turn right at this junction, cross the Nestucca River and proceed for a little over 4 miles to an intersection. Turn right again, following the direction of a sign marking “trail”. Follow this road downhill to the parking area and trailhead. The Niagara Falls trail departs from here and winds down an easy mile to the falls and a picnic table near its base.^[6]

[edit] Pheasant Falls

**Pheasant Falls**

Coordinates	45°12′28″N 123°37′37″W / 45.20781, -123.62697
Total height	100 feet
Total width	20 feet

Pheasant Falls is a pretty, though low volume, 100 foot tall horsetail neighboring wispy Niagara Falls. The confusion regarding the names of these two falls has swirled about for years without certain clarification about either. This one of the pair is officially unnamed, but is commonly referred to as Pheasant Falls. The stream the falls occur along is unnamed, and while technically perennial, loses almost all of its flow by July. During the winter months, the falls become rather attractive, turning the pleasant stroll to Niagara Falls into a great two-for hike.

This name stems from confusion over which streams both Niagara and Pheasant Falls occur along. Niagara Falls actually occurs along Pheasant Creek, but most people assume that it lies along Niagara Creek. Because of this confusion, this name has become accepted for Pheasant Falls.

The falls are located off the Nestucca Byway, southeast of Tillamook. Follow US 101 14 miles south of Tillamook and turn left onto Blaine-Nestucca River Road. Follow this road for about 11 ¾ miles. At this point, you should see signs for Clarence Creek Falls pointing towards the left, and directly across the road is another road that leads in the opposite direction. Turn right at this junction, cross the Nestucca River and proceed for a little over 4 miles to an intersection. Turn right again, following the direction of a sign marking “trail”. Follow this road downhill to the parking area and trailhead. The Niagara Falls trail departs from here and winds down an easy mile to the pair of falls. (The falls are really close to the trail, so wide angle of at least 28mm is practically mandatory if you want to get the entire waterfall in one frame.)^[7]

[edit] Testament Falls

**Testament Falls**

Coordinates	45°14′50″N 123°30′28″W / 45.24711, -123.50767
Total height	70 feet
Total width	50 feet

Testament Falls is easily one of the most impressive in the Nestucca River drainage, spilling some 70 feet over an outcrop of columnar basalt, impacting the formation about two-thirds of the way down. During winter, the falls become powerful enough to generate enough spray to ice over the bridge crossing at its base, where, in contrast, in the summer the creek runs down the crevices and joints in the outcrop in a much more serene manor. The falls lie within the grounds of Camp Cooper, a property of the Boy Scouts of America and are accessed by a nice trail system, but public access is currently not allowed. The camp hasn’t been used for quite some time, but the tenants hope to restore it to its former state and eventually allow public access to the trail system.^[8]