Shellburg Falls at the Shellburg Falls Recreation Area of the Santiam State Forest

Shellburg Falls was a hike recommended to me by multiple people, and I decided to take up the recommendation with several family members on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

To get there, take  Hwy 22 and turn north onto Fern Ridge Road. Just over a mile down the road, you'll come to a gravel parking and day-use area on the right. If the parking area is a little full {as it was on the day we were there}, there is space to pull off to the side of the road if necessary.** Here you will see a gravel road {Shellburg Rd} with a yellow gate across, barring vehicle access. From here, you will hike the gravel road for 1.25 miles. There is no dense forest or running water along your way, but instead you will meander through private property of open fields filled with cattle. The cows are not a nuisance, and the land owners seem not to mind the intrusion of hikers. In fact, we came upon a farmer who was happy to see all of our kids, and invited them over to pet the new baby calf, which they thoroughly enjoyed.

Once you hike your 1.25 miles, you'll cross a short bridge above the lower Shellburg Falls. To your left is where the real trail begins. When you're on the trail, you walk into a denser, greener landscape. Only about 0.2 miles into the trail, you'll come to Shellburg Falls. It is a beauty, as most falls are. Just before you reach it, there is a small trail down to the left framed by beautifully moss-covered arching branches to a vewpoint deck. Continue along the main trail, and it will loop you around the back of the falls, before you hike a very short, but moderately steep switchback section back to high ground. Only about 200 meters past the waterfall, there are a couple of benches, perfectly placed for a snack break. Afterwards, you'll head over a small footbridge, and hike the remaining 0.25 miles to the end of the trail {during the winter, this section is quite muddy, and for us confirmed the need of real waterproof hiking shoes for our kids, instead of the running shoes they've been using}. It appeared as though the trail usually ends at a campground, however we encountered a detour forcing us to end just a little bit early. From what I gather, this is another seasonal thing, and it should be available for use from late spring to early fall. Once the trail ends {all too soon}, and you meet back up with the gravel road, it is about a 2 mile hike back to the car.

While I suppose the open fields and cattle were nice for a different kind of experience, I do not enjoy hiking gravel roads. To me, hiking is about raw nature, and gravel roads take something away from the experience for me. The trail itself was fantastic, albeit far too short. I think we'll return in the summer in order to gain the closer access by car, allowing us to spend more time exploring the different trails in the area.

**From May 2-Oct 1, you can get closer access to the trails by taking Hwy 22 to a left {north} on Wagner Rd. Stay right and drive 2.5 miles. When you come to a 4 way intersection, stay straight onto  Ayer's Creek Rd. After 1 mile, take a left onto AC 100 Rd, and drive 2.8 miles further to the orange gate at Shellburg Rd on the left.

Total Distance: 3.75 miles
Trail Type: Out & back with loop
Trail Appearance: Gravel road, dirt/muddy trail
Trail Elevation: continuous gradual incline for 1.25 miles, small rises & valleys for 0.5, gradual decline for 2 miles
Atmosphere: open, animal sounds
View: Open fields, farmers, cows, waterfall, trees
Map: Shellburg Falls Recreation Area 

Difficulty: Moderate 
My Rating: ***
Kid Ratings: ****;****;***