Tamolitch Falls
Oregon · height not recorded · Last verified 2026-05-15
Flow at Tamolitch Falls is light today (7 cfs) — visit for the geology, not the volume.
Expect dry conditions today — don't drive out for this one. Flow is at 7.5 cfs (bottom 0% of the last 30 days, vs. 11.4 cfs average). The 7-day NOAA forecast shows no significant rain.
Right now
Streamflow
6.74 cfs
SMITH RIVER ABV SMITH · 1h ago
Overnight
47°F
Clear
Friday
82°F
Sunny
Today's daylight
Sunrise 5:33 AM · Sunset 8:52 PM · 15h 19m
Snapshot built 5m ago. Sources: USGS · NWS PQR.
Tamolitch Falls is a waterfall in Linn County, Oregon. Height has not been officially recorded. Access details and conditions have not yet been verified in person by Fallspots — the data on this page comes from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.
Tamolitch Falls sits in Linn County, Oregon. It drops along McKenzie River. The base sits at roughly 2,496 feet of elevation. Drive time is about 26 minutes from Black Butte Ranch. A trail — Tamolitch Blue Pool via McKenzie River Trail — runs within 20 meters of the marked location. No public parking is recorded within 2 km, so a longer approach is likely. This is one of the more frequently visited falls in the state by our popularity model. Source records come from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.
The Tamolitch Falls, now a seasonal waterfall, once had a constant flow on the McKenzie River in Lane County, Oregon. The site is located in the Willamette National Forest. In the 1960s, water was diverted for hydroelectric use from the stream above the falls; that section of the stream, as well as the falls, ceased to flow except during periods of heavy runoff or when water was diverted from the dams upstream. When this is not the case, the stream goes underground and now emerges below the falls. At the base of the former falls is the Tamolitch Blue Pool, a small body of water known for its blue color. Elevation: 2,487 feet
Is the water flowing right now?
Most waterfall sites don't tell you this. The waterfall itself is almost never gauged, but a USGS streamgage in the same watershed can tell you whether snowmelt has started, peaked, or run dry.
USGS gage 14158790 · 1.8 mi away
SMITH RIVER ABV SMITH R RESV,NR BELKNAP SPRNGS,OR
View live discharge data →
30-day streamflow
Below 30-day average↻ Same date last year: 6.8 cfs · 111% of last year — similar
Compare to nearby falls
If this one isn't the right fit, here's how it stacks up against the closest documented falls. Every column is filterable on the site — not buried in 13,000 reviews.
| Waterfall | Distance | Height | Trail | Dogs | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tamolitch Falls (this page) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Koosah Falls | 3 mi | 74 ft | — | — | — |
| Sahalie Falls | 3 mi | 73 ft | — | — | — |
| Proxy Falls | 11 mi | 226 ft | — | Y | Free |
| Upper Proxy Falls | 11 mi | 129 ft | — | Y | Free |
| House Rock Falls | 12 mi | — | — | — | — |
Related waterfalls
On the same watercourse (McKenzie River)
- Koosah Falls74 ft
- Sahalie Falls73 ft
Questions visitors ask about Tamolitch Falls
Answers built from our structured data. If a question isn't here, the fact is unverified — we'd rather omit than guess.
How far is Tamolitch Falls from a major city?
Tamolitch Falls is 18 miles from Black Butte Ranch (about 26 minutes' drive).
More waterfalls in Oregon
Where it is
44.3123, -122.0263
Sources and live status
Where we got the data, and where to check current conditions before you drive.
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamolitch_Falls
Wikidata (Q14709282)
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14709282
GeoNames (5755961)
https://www.geonames.org/5755961/
Last verified by Fallspots: 2026-05-15
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