We rallied for a semi-early start from Poole Creek Campground on Lemolo Lake to drive about a half hour through forestry backroads to the Umpqua Hot Springs trailhead parking lot. What I could find online suggested it was a very popular quarter-mile hike to the hot springs so an early start would be to our advantage. This proved true as the parking lot was already half-full at 8am. The forest here was particularly lush and the North Umpqua River was close to packraftable at the flows we saw. The trail took us up a hill and along a steep railed hillside to finally descend slightly to the top of the prominent travertine mound where the hot springs were. A later count would reveal a total of 10 soaking pools; most of the choice pools were occupied but we quickly settled into a shallow warm pool we could call our own. After a while we spotted a vacancy and moved in to the prime hot pool. Both in terms of scenery and soakability this hot spring ranks high.
It seemed we timed our arrival well but overall people seemed friendly and willing to share the hot water. It was a lovely spot with the 50ft+ high travertine mound forming a natural clearing in the forest and the crystal clear waters of the river below. I'm sure there naturally would have been a lush garden of moss and ferns instead of trampled mud but otherwise it really was a high quality hot spring. Overhearing others talking we learned there were two more pools down at river level and so the kids and I ventured down the steep muddy slope to the river. There were plenty of people down here too but there was a neat pool nestled under the overhanging travertine complete with dripping stalactites and a pocket of cute little bats overhead. We briefly soaked in this pool before heading back up and then a little more soaking in our prime pool before heading back to the car. We managed to kill a couple hours at this choice group of springs before heading on.
We drove onward to stop for another short hike to Toketee Falls, which I would later find out was a "cover girl" to an Oregon waterfall guidebook. This parking lot was thoroughly filled to the brim but we managed to snag a spot and had lunch at the trailhead picnic table. Quite surreally there was an over-pressured water flume adjacent to the parking lot composed of redwood planks bound by rusting steel straps with jets of water spurting everywhere. Everything about it conveyed a sense of imminent failure but we ignored the possibility like everyone else. The hike was somehow even lusher forest than the previous hike and offered some great views of some impressive whitewater. The river was clearly at a very high flow stage. We continued on to the cliffhanging viewpoint for Toketee Falls, a two tiered cascade funneling through a gap in columnar basalt to meet a very large plunge pool. A guy was highlining in front of the waterfall which initially annoyed me but eventually I gained entertainment from. The hike and falls were truly spectacular, something more befitting of a national park than a near-roadside attraction.
We settled in for a lazy afternoon in camp and then drove to Diamond Lake for pizza. Thankfully we found looks deceiving as a no curb-appeal rundown looking shack guarded by thick clouds of mosquitoes ended turning up tasty pizza with lake views. All in all it was a satisfyingly mellow day after the go go go of our John Day River trip.
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