Hike to Abiqua Falls

Abiqua Falls is one of the hidden gems of Marion County. The stunning 92-foot waterfall sits out of Scotts Mills, Oregon, about 11 miles away. Despite being located on private property owned by Mt. Angel Abbey, the land is open to the public for recreational use. The short, unmarked trail leads hikers to the waterfall base surrounded by a spectacular basalt amphitheater. 

Walk back along the road in the direction you came from from the parking area at the gate. Skip the first rough trail leaving the parking area right from the end. After about 100 feet, look down the hill on your right and you will see a second trail falling down through the trees. The first few steps are skirting a roadside maple on a steep slope. Take this a short distance to where it turns left (the right branch takes you immediately to an open area on an old road). Continue for 0.2 miles down the hill until you reach the creek. 

Turn left upstream along the creek and follow a rough trail for another 0.2 mile or so. You'll have to climb rocks and log around and over, but you can do that. During periods of high water you will have to climb a steep slope to get around some logs, but walking on the exposed river rock is easier during low water for much of the distance. The trail ends in the huge basalt bowl in which Abiqua Falls plunges into a huge splash pool. There is a large rocky area that juts out into the pool from where you can walk around the edge of the bowl over the mossy rocks to the left.