We returned to an old favorite last weekend with a hike to the blue pool. The Tamolitch Pool trailhead is about an hour and a half east of Eugene, and is well worth the drive.
The 4-mile (roundtrip) hike travels along the McKenzie River, which is unbelievably beautiful, freezing, and clear. It ends at Tamolitch Pool, a so-incredible-you-have-to-see-it-for-yourself-blue-pool fed by an underground spring.
There was a pretty big crowd gathered at the top of the cliff, so we continued on down to the little shore of the pool. It’s a perfect place to enjoy a little picnic and the beautiful views, as long as you don’t mind being in a bunch of photos taken from the top of the rocks.
To get to the trailhead, take Highway 126 (McKenzie Hwy) about 65 miles east of Eugene. Turn left onto a unmarked road after passing the Trail Bridge Reservoir and a small power station. Cross the bridge and turn right. The parking area is just down the gravel road, and the trailhead is clearly marked.
You can read about previous visits to the blue pool here, here, and here.
-Ally
Jakita Keehn says
Simply beautiful!