Eugene, Cascades & Coast
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Wooden drift boats were the only and early form of transportation along the challenging McKenzie River.
McKenzie River Valley
Finding Blue Pool and other epiphanies in this wooded wonderland written by James Sinks IN THE McKenzie River Valley, it’s almost like Mother Nature saves the best for last. From the start of the snowmelt, the picturesque pocket in the central Cascades—home to dramatic waterfalls, crystalline lakes, and moonscape lava fields—attracts flocks of visitors to bike, hike, fish, paddle, soak and exhale. President Herbert Hoover, a frequent vacationer and angler here, was likely referring to the McKenzie when he wrote of Oregon in his memoirs. “Within these woods,” he said, “are neverending journeys of discovery.” With so much to do and so much to see, you’d think it couldn’t possibly get more breathtaking. Then autumn arrives. As crowds thin, nature’s picture show begins. Like deciduous peacocks, hardwoods jockey to show off their best colors. Reds. Yellows. Oranges. In fall, you can still experience the expected and unexpected joys of the McKenzie, just against a more vivid backdrop and with more elbow room. Frigid and clean, the McKenzie River tumbles and swirls westward some 90 miles from its birthplace at Clear Lake to its meetup with the Willamette River. Along the way, it
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glides through deep fishing holes, over rollicking rapids, underneath covered bridges, and through a succession of cozy river towns, including Leaburg, Rainbow and McKenzie Bridge. One of those communities, Blue River, is in the midst of a major rebuild. Much of the town was in the path of the calamitous Holiday Farm Fire of 2020, which devoured nearly 174,000 acres and hundreds of structures. Wildfire scars are increasingly common along Highway 126, the thoroughfare in the valley. Yet while charred areas may be jarring for those who remember the McKenzie for its seemingly endless forest canopy, change is also rebirth. “The burnt out hollow of a massive Douglas fir set in stark contrast to an azure blue sky is its own kind of juxtaposed artistry,” said Jonnie Helfrich of guide service A. Helfrich Outfitters, and part of a famous family clan that began plying the McKenzie a century ago. “The river itself is unchanged. The great fishing spots are there. The rapids are exhilarating. The calm pools are relaxing. When our guests look for the beauty around them, they see it.”
