Stairway to Heaven

The coastal ranges of Oregon offer hikes into the lush, temperate rainforests with abundant displays of waterfalls and cascades.

Sweet Creek Falls is a popular destination, closer to Florence, but accessible from Eugene as well. On a day when the coastal marine layer was hindering photography, we drove east from Florence along the Suislaw River, crossed the river at Mapleton and followed the Sweet Creek road to the popular hiking trailhead. With clearing skys and forest-filtered sunlight, we began this charming and magical hike of 2.2 miles round trip.

The trail gains a modest amount of elevation, following the creek closely so that the multiple cascades over rocky slabs and waterfalls always stay in view. The forest is mysterious and dramatic with a mix of conifers and deciduous trees, many of which are covered in draping mosses. Rich, green ferns grow to over three feet and the groundcover is luxurious with a variety of mosses. A catwalk, built along a rock wall, features small springs dripping as you walk by. Along the way, hikers pass falls such as “Split,” “Annice,” “Punch Bowl,” “Elk Wallow” and at the end, “Sweet Creek” falls. Moss covered boulders line the cascading creek, but be careful, they can be extremely slick. At the right seasons, certain wildflowers will grace the path that winds among Hemlock, Douglas Fir and Wester Red Cedar trees.
About midway, we came to this charming stairway, beckoning us to continue on and lined with ferns that enticed us upward to the main fall and pool. Above that is an even larger fall, but difficult to photograph. That stairway seemed to be a stairway to heavenly views, hence the photo name. 

Photo by Tim Cooney  09/2025