Abiqua Falls

I had been wanting to shoot this waterfall for a long time. Finally I made it happen. Abiqua Falls is part of the same geological formation as the waterfalls at Silver Falls State Park, and in fact is not far from there as the crow flies (although significantly longer in distance when going by road). It is completely unsigned, and the trail is a bit rough, but it's worth it.It's a rugged hike into a wonderland of ferns, water and moss. It is an amazing place at Abiqua Falls. When we visited this wonderful place, owned by the Catholic Abbey Foundation of Oregon, we stopped at a general store in a nearby village to ask for more specific directions to this place of hidden wonder. As luck would have it, we met a couple of monks from the Catholic Abbey that owns the land where the waterfall is located and they kindly explained exactly where we needed to go. Abiqua Falls is spectacular. The steep cliffs surround the pool and prevent any vegetation from settling down, providing an excellent view of the waterfall from any direction in the amphitheater. Unlike smooth rocks in most waterfalls, these cliff rocks look to be volcanic basalt as they form long columns. It is also obvious that the rocks have been eroded over the eons, and there is now a significant V-shape with the waterfall flowing only at the lowest point. This is one of the most beautiful and unique waterfall I have ever seen.