Highway 224 & the Upper Clackamas River - Part 3
- Tina McLain
- Aug 4
- 7 min read
A break down of all viewpoints, river access points, seasonal waterfalls, and hikes along the Clackamas River from Historic Memaloose Weigh Station to Clackamas Highway Quarry.
Part 3 explores one hike, two pull-offs, one view, one boat access site, and four waterfalls. The majority of this section is on national forest, but there is one area that is BLM land.
For more information on activity ideas, resources, safety, and a list of each place by category check out my Highway 224 & Upper Clackamas River - Overview post.
Recreating in Burned Areas
The majority of the Upper Clackamas River was affected by the 2020 fires. Large amounts of the area have reopened as of 2025. There are still a few areas/roads that are closed to public access.
As I’ve noted above, the majority of the Upper Clackamas River was affected by the 2020 fires. Large amounts of the area have reopened as of 2025. There are still a few areas/roads that are closed to public access.
As with any aspect of recreating outdoors, it’s important to make sure what you’re doing is legally open to the public. For up-to-date information on what is open, check out the Mount Hood National Forest website.
Another important aspect to consider when recreating in burned areas is the additional hazards and risks, such as unstable slopes/ground, flash floods, potential for falling trees/limbs, etc.
I really encourage everyone to check out the forest service page, “Safety in Burned Areas,” which discusses how to stay safe in burned areas.
Seasonal Waterfalls Disclaimer
I designate “waterfall” as any amount of water that flows or drops a vertical (or mostly vertical) rock surface. I use the word waterfall rather loosely, and I don’t use any official parameters for what is designated a “waterfall.” Basically if it appears to be falling water, I label it as a “waterfall” for ease of use.
There are a plethora of seasonal waterfalls along the upper Clackamas River. There's no way I could note all of them. So, I'm going to focus on marking those that are 1) most visible from along Highway 224, and 2) the most noticeable/my favorite ones. There are still plenty that I haven’t noted in this post. There are two that I know of that I didn’t add due to it not really being possible to photograph them. So, keep your eyes peeled for waterfalls along the way.
Some are best seen driving a particular direction (east vs. west), so I'll make sure to note which direction has the best visibility when discussing the waterfalls.
Winter/spring is usually the best time to see the waterfalls, particularly after some consistent/heavy rain. There is no guarantee the waterfalls listed will be present at different days/times of year. For the most luck in seeing waterfalls, it’s best to go after there’s been some heavy/prolonged rain along with snow melt.
All seasonal waterfalls are approximate coordinates, it gives the idea of where the waterfall is, but there is room for error on my part.
Pull-offs Disclaimer
I note a majority of the pull-offs along Highway 224, but there are some I’m sure I didn’t cover. It’s as close to being comprehensive as I could get. There is some subjectivity involved as to what constitutes a “pull-off.” So there are some areas others might consider pull-offs that I didn’t note.
There are some pull-offs that have boot paths leading to the river or river views, which I do my best to mention. Most of the photos I took are of the pull-off’s themselves since it is easier to eye that if you go driving yourself. Some places I included pictures of the river, but not in all. I think part of the fun with this list is going to those coordinates and seeing for yourself what it looks like.
Explore the map below to see where each place discussed is located.
Explore by Section:
Memaloose Bridge
Coordinates: 45.19249, -122.21217
River (access, view, none): View
Memaloose bridge is visible from Highway 224, like right next to it, but it is one of the few bridges that the highway doesn’t go over, it just goes by. The road the bridge leads to is closed to vehicle traffic. There is space for maybe 1-2 cars to park next to the bridge entrance (make sure not to block it), but the best place to park is at the south end of the Memaloose weigh station pull-off and road walk the shoulder of the highway to the bridge.
This bridge is the access point to the Memaloose and Clackamas Falls Hike.
Memaloose and Clackamas Falls Hike
Activity: Hiking (recommended only for experienced hikers)
Parking: There is room maybe 2 cars near Memaloose Bridge or one could park at the south end of the Historic Memaloose Weigh Station pull-off area and then walk the shoulder of the highway to Memaloose Bridge
Fee: None
Distance: 5.4 miles
The hike to Memaloose and Clackamas Falls is intense and involves multiple rope sections on steep, unstable slopes. The trail has not been maintained and is all within a heavily burnt area. As trip reports on all trails notes, it's important to be able to navigate and reference the route on GPS since after the rope sections in particular the trail becomes less distinct. To access Clackamas Falls requires comfort with heights, walking across narrow trees, and going through caves. This route overall requires one to be aware of their own risk tolerance is.
I planned to do this hike shortly before the 2020 fires happened. So I haven't had the opportunity to do this myself, but it is still on my list. If I ever get around to doing this one I'll added a link to the post here. I thought I'd still include this because it is one of the few hikes still "open," but does require a significant amount of caution. AllTrails has some of the most up-to-date trip reports I could find online so I'd recommend looking there.
The start of the trail is at Memaloose Bridge and involves road walking up Forest Road 45 until the cut off for the trail.
Resources: AllTrails - Memaloose and Clackamas Falls Hike, BLM - South Fork Clackamas Wild and Scenic River
Pull-off 45.18866, -122.20210
Coordinates: 45.18866, -122.20210
Use: Parking and view of waterfall & creek
River (access, view, none): View
Parking: There is room for 2 cars on both ends of the pull-off
Fee: None
This pull-off is unique because it's a 4x4 short little road. I've occasionally seen people park on it, but there's room on both ends of the short road where 2 cars can park. There isn't really any river access, at least directly in front of the pull-off. It's great for being able to see a creek that comes into the Clackamas River on the other side. Way up the creek is a waterfall that can be seen.
Waterfall 45.18465, -122.19590
Coordinates (approximate): 45.18465, -122.19590
Seasonal or Year-Round: Unsure, I think it might be year round
Visible From: Highway 224 and from pull-off 45.18866, -122.20210
Best Seen Driving: East
This waterfall is way up an unnamed creek on the opposite side of the Clackamas River. It's visible driving along highway 224 and about halfway down the 4x4 pull-off it can be seen, if wanting to stop and look at it.
Waterfall 45.19211, -122.19655
Coordinates (approximate): 45.19211, -122.19655
Seasonal or Year-Round: Very Seasonal
Visible From: Highway 224
Best Seen Driving: East or West, viewable both directions
This waterfall is on the northwest side of Highway 224. It is only possible to see when driving by, there are no pull-offs or places to stop. This a very seasonal waterfall and only pops up after heavy rain, It is quite stunning due to the large amount of moss surround it.
Moore Creek Boat Access Site
Coordinates: 45.19506, -122.19009
Use: River access
River (access, view, none): Access & view
Activity: Kayaking, rafting, picnicking
Facilities: Restroom and map sign
Parking: Around 30 parking spots for cars, additional spots for trailer parking as well.
Fee: None
Managed by: PGE
Moore Creek Boat Access Site is one of the main river access sites along the Clackamas River. It's used by white water kayakers and rafters as a start/stop place. It's a popular parking are during the summer for river access.
Waterfall 45.19770, -122.18347
Coordinates (approximate): 45.19770, -122.18347
Seasonal or Year-Round: Seasonal
Visible From: Highway 224
Best Seen Driving: West (towards Estacada), but can be seen driving both directions
This waterfall is pretty neat because of how narrow it us, but has quite the force of water falling down it along the rock. This one is easy to miss due to it being tucked between the rocky hillside. It's on the north side of highway 224.
Waterfall 45.19770, -122.18296
Coordinates (approximate): 45.19770, -122.18296
Seasonal or Year-Round: Seasonal
Visible From: Highway 224
Best Seen Driving: West (towards Estacada), but can be seen driving both directions
This waterfall is on the north side of highway 224, it almost leans more towards a creek, but there's a few drops so I'm going with "waterfall" loosely. I think this one might be around year round, but I'm not certain.
Pull-off 45.19725, -122.18148
Coordinates: 45.19725, -122.18148
Use: Sitting in car and view of river
River (access, view, none): View
Facilities: None
Parking: The pull off is large enough for multiple cars to park
Fee: n/a
Note: A place to just stop in your car, not a river access point
Easiest driving direction for access: East (towards Ripplebrook)
This pull off is a nice one, it's on the west side of Highway 224 before the Clackamas Hwy Quarry. There's an old cable line that goes to the other side of the river, the cart is no longer connected. This pull-off isn't so much a river access point as it is just a place to sit. The view of the river is somewhat obstructed by bushed, but is still visible. I like this spot for just sitting in my car during the winter.
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