{"id":3901,"date":"2026-05-13T06:25:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T14:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesimplehouse.com\/?p=3901"},"modified":"2026-05-13T06:25:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T14:25:01","slug":"mcdowell-creek-falls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thesimplehouse.com\/?p=3901","title":{"rendered":"McDowell Creek Falls"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"\">Another &#8220;in our back yard&#8221; falls is McDowell Creek Falls near Sweet Home. Brenda had gone years ago with a friend and our kids when they were young. That was probably 30-plus years ago. It is billed as an &#8220;alternative to Silver Falls&#8221;. Not quite as far away and less people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Both are true, however, the falls are not nearly as spectacular as Silver Falls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Yet, it was still a very nice day hike. Again, we had perfect weather. A great lunch at The Point in Sweet Home (see my blog on that <a href=\"https:\/\/thesimplehouse.com\/?p=3890\">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">We chose, as usual, to do the more difficult uphill part of the loop on the way in so we could be going downhill on the way out. We parked at the lower parking lot at Lower McDowell Falls. As far as I know, there is no Upper McDowell Creek Falls. The overall loop is about 2 miles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/lower-mcdowell-falls-scaled.webp\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"525\" height=\"394\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/lower-mcdowell-falls.webp?resize=525%2C394\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3905\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/lower-mcdowell-falls-scaled.webp?resize=1024%2C768 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/lower-mcdowell-falls-scaled.webp?resize=300%2C225 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/lower-mcdowell-falls-scaled.webp?resize=768%2C576 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/lower-mcdowell-falls-scaled.webp?resize=1536%2C1152 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/lower-mcdowell-falls-scaled.webp?resize=2048%2C1536 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lower McDowell Falls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The hike starts with a fairly easy uphill walk, then switches to rock stairs that are pretty steep. But not for very long.  The reward is Royal Terrace Falls, a 119 ft high triple falls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/royal-terrace-falls-scaled.webp\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"525\" height=\"700\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/royal-terrace-falls.webp?resize=525%2C700\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3904\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/royal-terrace-falls-scaled.webp?resize=768%2C1024 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/royal-terrace-falls-scaled.webp?resize=225%2C300 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/royal-terrace-falls-scaled.webp?resize=1152%2C1536 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/royal-terrace-falls-scaled.webp?resize=1536%2C2048 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/royal-terrace-falls-scaled.webp?w=1920 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/royal-terrace-falls-scaled.webp?w=1050 1050w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Royal Terrace Falls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Walking on around the loop, you come to Majestic Falls, which was my personal favorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/majestic-falls-scaled.webp\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"525\" height=\"365\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/majestic-falls.webp?resize=525%2C365\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3903\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/majestic-falls-scaled.webp?resize=1024%2C711 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/majestic-falls-scaled.webp?resize=300%2C208 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/majestic-falls-scaled.webp?resize=768%2C534 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/majestic-falls-scaled.webp?resize=1536%2C1067 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/majestic-falls-scaled.webp?resize=2048%2C1423 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Majestic Falls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">We continued now downhill back to the car. Beautiful flora along the way back, with a few crossing the road areas of the trail. And some occasional glimpses of the creek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/flora-scaled.webp\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"525\" height=\"700\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/flora.webp?resize=525%2C700\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3910\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/flora-scaled.webp?resize=768%2C1024 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/flora-scaled.webp?resize=225%2C300 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/flora-scaled.webp?resize=1152%2C1536 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/flora-scaled.webp?resize=1536%2C2048 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/flora-scaled.webp?w=1920 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/flora-scaled.webp?w=1050 1050w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flora along the hike<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/no-name-falls-scaled.webp\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"525\" height=\"700\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/no-name-falls.webp?resize=525%2C700\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/no-name-falls-scaled.webp?resize=768%2C1024 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/no-name-falls-scaled.webp?resize=225%2C300 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/no-name-falls-scaled.webp?resize=1152%2C1536 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/no-name-falls-scaled.webp?resize=1536%2C2048 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/no-name-falls-scaled.webp?w=1920 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/no-name-falls-scaled.webp?w=1050 1050w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">McDowell Creek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Overall, a nice day hike and a pleasant outing. Next up, weather permitting, Smith Rock. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">One of our favorite hikes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Another &#8220;in our back yard&#8221; falls is McDowell Creek Falls near Sweet Home. Brenda had gone years ago with a friend and our kids when they were young. That was probably 30-plus years ago. It is billed as an &#8220;alternative to Silver Falls&#8221;. Not quite as far away and less people. Both are true, however, &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thesimplehouse.com\/?p=3901\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;McDowell Creek Falls&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[277],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thesimplehouse.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thesimplehouse.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thesimplehouse.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thesimplehouse.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thesimplehouse.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3901"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/thesimplehouse.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3901\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3912,"href":"http:\/\/thesimplehouse.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3901\/revisions\/3912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thesimplehouse.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thesimplehouse.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thesimplehouse.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}