A walk along the Sweet Creek Trail and Falls...

Tahkenitch Landing Campground
Gardiner, OR

Full Moon Rising over Tahkenitch Lake

Last week, when some friends from Phoenix were visiting the campground for a couple of days, we took a walk along the Sweet Creek Trail.  The Sweet Creek Trail is in a canyon about 11 miles East of Mapleton, Oregon, along Sweet Creek Road.  The trail is only about a mile to a mile & a half long, but is quite fetching as a splendid place for a walk.  From the trail head, you enter the trail at about mid point.  About a hundred yards in from the trail head the trail splits left and right.  The left trail takes you up canyon to a vista point and trail's end.  The right trail takes you down canyon into the gorge.  More about the gorge later.  Sweet Creek Trail follows a stream path up and down hill.  There are about four or five water falls from the trail intersection left and ten or twelve water falls from the trail intersection right.  Left is up hill and right is down hill.  The day was sunny for the most part and warm during the walk. 

And after walking about a half mile of the trail we climbed up to a view point of several waterfalls down to the scene above.  And the sound of the water falls was just splendid.


(For Full Screen viewing, click on the square in the bottom right corner of the video)

After pausing for the view, we reversed direction and headed down the trail for the Sweet Creek Gorge. 

Portions of the lower trail is on catwalks bolted to the side of the rocks forming the gorge. 

There are more falls on the lower portion of the trail and a dedication mounted on the rock along the catwalks.

And, naturally, when hiking, it is always a good policy to take a break from the strenuous trail.

So, when are you going to come and join me on the trail...?