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Two
fantastic swimming areas off of highway 58 are Fall Creek and the
North Fork of the Middle Fork- Willamette River.
Fall
Creek
Bedrock:
Bedrock swimming hole is a 50-foot-wide and 6-foot-deep pool,
which is downstream of light rapids. The water quality is good and
there is campsite with drinking water and pit toilettes nearby.
Directions:
Bedrock swimming hole is 36 miles southeast of Eugene and 14.6 miles
from Lowell. From Eugene, head south on I-5 to exit 188A. After
0.3 miles, veer left at the fork to highway 58. Drive 13.2
miles and take a left on Jasper-Lowell Road. Drive through Lowell
to Big Fall Creek Road, 2.7 miles, and take a right. Drive 14.6
miles to the Bedrock turnoff. Once you have found parking, you can
look for the trail down to the swimming hole, which is upstream
from the bridge.
Big
Pool: Big Pool swimming hole is 40-feet-wide and 10-feet-deep.
The swimming hole is transparent to the bedrock below. The channel
between upstream and downstream rapids has a moderate current and
good water quality.
Directions:
Big Pool swimming hole is 32.7 miles southeast of Eugene. From Eugene,
head south on I-5 to exit 188A. After 0.3 miles, veer left at the
fork to highway 58. Drive 13.2 miles and take a left on Jasper-Lowell
Road. After 2.7 miles, take a right on Big Fall Creek Road and drive
11.3 miles to an area between mileposts 11 and 12. There is a small
gravel turnout for parking.
Clark
Creek: This 50-foot-wide and 12-foot-deep swimming hole has
a light current and excellent water quality. There is a campsite
nearby with drinking water and pit toilettes.
Directions:
Clark Creek is 34.2 miles southeast of Eugene. From Eugene, head
south on I-5 to exit 188A. After 0.3 miles, veer left at the fork
to highway 58. Drive 13.2 miles and take a left on Jasper-Lowell
Road. After 2.7 miles, take a right on Big Fall Creek Road and drive
12.8 miles to the turnoff for Clark Creek Group Camp parking, between
mileposts 12 and 13. The swimming hole is accessed by a short trail
across the road from the parking area.
Dolly
Varden: This 60-foot-wide and 11-foot-deep
swimming hole has a moderate current and excellent water quality.
The area has no-fee camping, no drinking water and a pit toilette.
Downstream of the hole there are rapids that go around a small island.
There is also a sandy beach, which runs under a bridge.
Directions:
Dolly Varden is 31.7 miles southeast of Eugene. From Eugene, head
south on I-5 to exit 188A. After 0.3 miles, veer left at the fork
to highway 58. Drive 13.2 miles and take a left on Jasper-Lowell
Road. After 2.7 miles, take a right on Big Fall Creek Road and drive
10.3 miles to the turnoff for Dolly Varden.
North
Fork of the Middle Fork-Willamette River
Near
Milepost 1: This 50-foot-wide and six-foot-deep swimming hole
has a moderate current and an upstream rapid. The water quality
is excellent, allowing the swimmer to see the gravel and rock bottom.
Directions:
The milepost 1 swimming hole is 43.4 miles
southeast of Eugene. From Eugene, head south on I-5 to exit 188A.
After 0.3 miles, veer left at the fork to highway 58. Drive
33.4 miles and turn left on Westfir-Oakridge road, the second Westfir
turnoff between mileposts 33 and 34. The road will turn into North
Fork Road/Forest Road 19 at the Westfir Covered Bridge. After 1.4
miles, between mileposts 1/57 and 2/56, there is a gravel turnout
on the left with a trail to the river.
Near
Milepost 3: There are two pools
- the smaller upper pool flows down a chute into the lower pool,
which is 60-foot-wide and 14-foot-deep with excellent water quality,
revealing a boulder and gravel bottom.
Directions:
The milepost 3 swimming hole is 45.4 miles southeast of Eugene.
From Eugene, head south on I-5 to exit 188A. After 0.3 miles, veer
left at the fork to highway 58. Drive 33.4 miles and turn
left on Westfir-Oakridge road, the second Westfir turnoff between
mileposts 33 and 34. The road will turn into North Fork Road/Forest
Road 19 at the Westfir Covered Bridge. After 3.4 miles, between
mileposts 3/55 and 4/54, there is a gravel turnout on the left with
a trail to the river.
Near
Milepost 5: This 50-foot-wide and
18-foot-deep swimming hole has a moderate current and excellent
water quality that reveals a boulder and gravel bottom. There is
a chute upstream and light rapids downstream from the hole, which
also has a lava cliff nearby.
Directions:
The milepost 5 swimming hole is 47.4 miles southeast of Eugene.
From Eugene, head south on I-5 to exit 188A. After 0.3 miles, veer
left at the fork to highway 58. Drive 33.4 miles and turn
left on Westfir-Oakridge road, the second Westfir turnoff between
mileposts 33 and 34. The road will turn into North Fork Road/Forest
Road 19 at the Westfir Covered Bridge. After 5.3 miles, between
mileposts 5/53 and 6/52, there is a gravel turnout on the left with
a trail to the river.
Near
Milepost 11: This 60-foot-wide
and 14-foot-deep swimming hole has excellent water quality that
reveals a bedrock bottom. Next to the hole lies a 90-foot-wide lava
formation jutting out of the stream, forcing the river to flow around
it.
Directions:
The milepost 11 swimming hole is 53 miles southeast of Eugene. From
Eugene, head south on I-5 to exit 188A. After 0.3 miles, veer left
at the fork to highway 58. Drive 33.4 miles and turn left
on Westfir-Oakridge road, the second Westfir turnoff between mileposts
33 and 34. The road will turn into North Fork Road/Forest Road 19
at the Westfir Covered Bridge. After 11 miles, just before milepost
11/47, there is a gravel turnout on the left with a trail to the
river.
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