Sweet Creek, Oregon

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Although the rugged coastline and magnificent sunsets form the prime attraction of the Oregon coast, exciting working conditions can be found a short distance inland along the many coastal streams.

Think green. Think bubbling stream. Think waterfalls. Think dense forest. Then you have conjured up an image of any of a large number of creeks in the Pacific Northwest. Though I have hiked along many, Sweet Creek for me remains the quintessential forest stream. Easy access and a gentle trail make hiking with a heavy camera pack relatively easy and there are myriad places to stop to relax or to work the variety of stream-based topography from sizable falls to deep, still pools reflecting the colors of the trees and the sky. For a while the trail clings (literally) to a cliff side as you walk along a catwalk fastened to sheer cliffs, but there are many places you can scramble down the bank and work the rich and magical palette of colors and textures. The stream includes pools and still water sections reflecting the colors from sky and trees as well as numerous low falls and rapids. The main falls, about one mile up the easy trail, is about 90 feet high. The surrounding coastal forest is resplendent in mosses and thick ground cover.

Sweet Creek, like many very worthwhile locations is off the beaten trail and is not particularly easy to find. I have not seen it mentioned in any published guide books (though that is probably more due to the lack of materials on Oregon here in the Great Plains). It is well known to locals and information is readily found on the Web. Traveling west from Eugene on Oregon Route 126, you will reach the Suislaw River at Mapleton, about 40 miles west of Eugene. Immediately before you cross the bridge, turn to the south. (A Delorme Oregon atlas is a great tool here!) To reach Sweet Creek from Florence, take 126 east to Mapleton and turn right immediately upon crossing the bridge and follow the Sweet Creek Road (Oregon 48) about eleven miles to the Sweet Creek trailhead parking area. Watch carefully for the first trailhead on the right side of the road – it is easily missed as the road continues past the trailhead parking. The trail winds through forest for 100 meters before reaching the creek, then parallels the creek for a couple of miles. Sweet Creek falls can be reached directly from a separate trailhead a few miles up the road, but the it is the lower part of the trail that is the most charming. The Goodwin Peak USGS 7.5 minute quad covers this area.

Different times of year will change the color palette and no season is better than another, though of course the deciduous forest trees loose their leaves in the winter. What does matter is the time of day. Like all forests, this area is too contrasty to work during the middle part of the day and you should plan on early morning or late afternoon. There are exceptions to all rules of course, and if your interest is macro photography and you go equipped with diffusers, then you can work all day long.

Leave the heavy glass home for Sweet Creek. This is a place for wide-angle to short telephoto work; macro subjects abound so if you can get to 1:2 or 1:1 you will find plenty to shoot. Diffusers and reflectors are useful, flash less so though you may need it when working small subjects under the forest canopy. A tripod is a must; early and late there is not much light at ground level and you will want to do flowing water shots at ½ second or longer. Use a photo vest or photo backpack to carry equipment up the trail.

Use any highly-saturated film; Velvia is my emulsion of choice here, but Kodak VS will work well too.

Summers are generally dry, though you may find foggy mornings even this far inland. Winters are very wet and this area averages almost a half inch of moisture every day between November and April.

Many thanks to Nancy Rotenberg for sharing this special place with us. There are memories here that far transcend the physical environment..

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