This is one of those hikes that has always been in the list but I’ve kept putting it away because I knew it would be on the easy side. Finally I was lazy enough to say “ok, let’s go check it out”. I have to say I’m happy I did. On one side, this is an incredibly scenic hike, not only offers the beautiful views of the Little North Santiam River and Opal Creek but it also has several small waterfalls, some blue/green very inviting pools and a lush green forest with tall red cedars. On the other, the trail offers a bit of history as you pass the remnants of an old mill from the depression era and a little town that has been preserved since the 1930’s. If you top all this with a bright sunny day and a great group of people to go with, the hike can certainly be a great day. The first part of the trail is not very interesting other than the scenery. The reason is that it starts in the middle of the road and it just follows it for almost three miles to Jawbone flats. On this section you get some seasonal creeks and nice views of the forest but only the sound of the river down in the canyon. After about two miles we reached Merten Mill where we found some old machinery laying around. While exploring this area, it’s hard to miss the roaring sound of a nearby waterfall. As we explored around, we found a faint trail behind a very old house. That trail led us to Sawmill Falls, a 30ft drop into a blue pool with amazing scenery. The crystal blue waters I this section are very inviting but nobody should jump before testing how cold it is… it is very cold! Continuing on the road, we got to Jawbone Flats and were surprised to learn that this old town has been preserved and still in use. Some of the 27 houses are actually rented out to whoever wants to spend a couple of days there while others are used by park administrators that take care of the place. Going “thru” town is not that interesting until you get to the other side and cross the bridge. As the trail continues towards Opal Creek, there’s a section that resembles an open air museum where you can see old mining cars, tractors, trucks and a lot of machinery. It’s a very interesting place to explore and take pictures. From there, we got back to nature and to the more rugged part of the hike. After crossing the little bridge over Opal Creek, we stopped for lunch and then continued on. The trail goes all the way to Beachie Creek just past Cedar Flats along Opal Creek. It’s a very scenic section with lush forests and some nice waterfalls. In the upper section we got a lot of snow so going got slow until we got to Cedar Flats. By then weather was starting to turn for the worse so we decided at that point to turn around. Once we got back to the bridge over Opal Creek, instead of crossing towards Jawbone Flats, we continued on the trail to Opal Pool, one of the many highlights of this hike. I think the name couldn’t describe better this place. As you’ll see in the pictures, the color of this pool is so incredible that it almost seems unreal. From there we continued to the second bridge that goes over the Little Santiam River and back to the road for our last two mile walk to the car.
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