Hiking upstream from Wizard Falls

Last week we explored the upper reaches of Canyon Creek where it is born in the snows of Three Fingered Jack. This time we'll take a look at the other end of the creek, where it empties into the Metolius River south of Camp Sherman.

This hike is an easy round trip of five miles and can be accessed either from Canyon Creek Campground or Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery. I prefer to start at Wizard Falls to save the mouth of Canyon Creek and some spectacular springs along the Metolius for a mid-hike visual treat. For a really easy 2.5 mile hike, take two cars and leave one at each end of the trail. Note: While the hike is not strenuous, there are some spots where you must watch your footing. Any hikers in your party who are a little unsteady on their feet should proceed with caution - and be watched.

Starting from the fish hatchery, the first upstream mile of the trail is wide and flat, and it's set back several yards from the river's edge. Even small children can handle this stretch, but keep a close eye on them because the river is fast and deep. About half a mile upstream is my candidate for the world's lowest waterfall. Here, the river spills sideways over a rock ledge that is nearly 150 feet long but only about 18 inches high.

About a mile south of the hatchery, the trail narrows and takes a detour around the edge of a gully. From this point on, the trail is sometimes rocky and narrow and occasionally hugs the edge of the riverbank; but it's still an easy trail. I encountered a runner on this stretch, so it's a good place to run, too.

If you're looking for wildflowers along the trail, you're out of luck at this time of year. Precious few remain. Try again in nine or ten months! In fact, berries have already formed on the Oregon State flower, the Oregon grape. At about the two mile point, there are some wonderful old growth Douglas firs. One broken-topped specimen, that overhangs the trail and the river, looks to be nearly six feet thick.

Shortly after the big trees, keep an eye on the east river bank. There, a huge gush of spring water bursts out from the riverbank and spills into the river. The springs are unusual in the way they erupt a few feet above the river. They are also unusual in that the water enters the Metolius from the east side. Almost all Metolius tributaries come from the west, where the Cascade mountains shed their water through cracks in the underlying basalt. Downstream, Allen Springs is another, much smaller, exception.

From the springs, it's only a few hundred more yards to the mouth of Canyon Creek. As a youth, I remember fishing this creek in the 1950s and seeing large schools of Dolly Varden trout (it's really a char, not a trout) in the 18-20 inch range. Now, they're much less common and called bull trout.

After a journey of more than 10 miles from the slopes of Three Fingered Jack, Canyon Creek pours into the Metolius and generates a huge eddy.

The return trip, of course, is a repeat of the same trail. Seeing it from the opposite direction, however, makes everything looks different; and you're likely to see things you missed on the trip downstream. I made the round trip in less than two hours, but you may want to take a more leisurely pace.

For a cooler and more secluded hike, you might consider getting there early. Also, the early bird will see more wildlife and tracks on the trail. There were many deer tracks and those of a small bear, although the only mammals I actually saw were squirrels and a coyote.

The hatchery and the trail are only a few miles north of Camp Sherman and easily accessible on Forest Road 14, which is paved. There are no forest user fees for any of the trails along the Metolius River.