HIKING EXPLORING Deschutes Canyon River Shoreline @ Steelhead Falls! | FALL AUTUMN Central Oregon 4K

This was a Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Steelhead Falls Wilderness Study Area @ Deschutes Canyon & River, starting at Steelhead Falls Trailhead and hiking a truly EPIC 2 Mile Out and Back, approximately 226 FT Elevation Gain (mostly on the way back up), descending into the INCREDIBLE Deschutes Canyon paralleling Deschutes River, culminating in the ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR Steelhead Falls, a CROWN JEWEL of Central Oregon!

This was hiked on 11/2/2021 with AUTUMN FALL COLORS on full display brightening up the landscape, in my opinion the best time of year to go!

There are approximately 4 Access Points to Deschutes River before you get above/to the side of Steelhead Falls, they are all worth doing! There is one particularly long rocky shoreline section with extended access to Deschutes River! The edge of that zone is the Old Ruins of "Mill House", you can walk on the old frame but if you do so be VERY CAREFUL and DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK! I would most definitely NOT RECOMMEND jumping across the break in the old foundation, WAY TO DANGEROUS in my opinion!!!!!!!!!! You can get right up close and personal on the Shoreline right next to Steelhead Falls by going down Side Access Trails off the Main Trail which is worth doing! Once you Hike just beyond the Waterfall you reach the "MONEYSHOT VIEWPOINT" that it directly across from Steelhead Falls yielding you ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE VIEWS of Steelhead Falls! I recommend continuing to Hike beyond that Viewpoint to get even more perspectives & vantage points of Deschutes Canyon & River framed by Steelhead Falls! You can actually Hike another half a mile or so beyond Steelhead Falls paralleling Deschutes River until you reach an obvious End of the Trail as your Natural Turnaround Point. If you do the FULL HIKE it is approximately 2 Miles Out and Back, but if you just stop at the "MONEYSHOT VIEWPOINT" it is only 1 Mile Out and Back.

On AllTrails, this hike is called "Steelhead Falls". As far as road conditions, it's highway and paved side streets until the last few tenths of a mile or so which is gravel, you want to take this part slowly and cautiously but it's fairly easy, in my opinion, the road most definitely DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive. As far as permits, the Steelhead Falls Trailhead DOES NOT require a Recreation.gov permit!