McKenzie Pass–Santiam Pass loop from Eugene

Route description

From Eugene, OR-126 follows the McKenzie River east for about 55 miles to the junction with OR-242 near Belknap Springs. OR-242, the McKenzie Pass Highway, is a narrow road with tight hairpins, usually open only from late June to November. Vehicles over 35 feet are not allowed. Proxy Falls, a 1.5-mile loop across old lava to two waterfalls, is on the way up.

At the top of the pass, the Dee Wright Observatory is a stone shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935 in the middle of a vast lava field. Window slits point to the Three Sisters, Mount Washington, Mount Jefferson and other peaks. A paved half-mile trail explores the lava. The road then descends through forest to Sisters, about 15 miles east.

Sisters is a small western-style town with fuel, stores and a good campground. Return west on US-20 over Santiam Pass, open all year, and turn south on OR-126. Clear Lake, spring-fed and very cold, has a submerged forest visible from rowboats and a 5.5-mile trail around its shore. A little south, Sahalie Falls roars down just beside the road.

A 2.6-mile loop links Sahalie and Koosah falls along both banks of the river. Further south, a trail of about two miles each way leads to Tamolitch Blue Pool, where the McKenzie reappears after running underground; the lot fills early in summer, and a Northwest Forest Pass is needed at several trailheads. Follow OR-126 back to Eugene, about an hour and a half.