Blister Creek Falls

Photo: Priscilla Macy

Stream: This small stream flows into the Hot Springs Fork of the Collawash a short ways below Pegleg Falls. There is a beautiful looking 30 footer on it that has had some unfortunate wood in it.

2016 UPDATE:  The logs blocking a descent of the falls disappeared around the time of the Clackamas River Festival in Spring of 2016, so Bobby Brown, Priscilla and I all took runs down the falls in various craft that weekend.
  

Bobby more than earned the first crack at the falls.

 Photo: Priscilla Macy

 Priscilla

Smooth enough for tubes.

                                                                   Photo: Priscilla Macy

It's that clean.

Photo: Priscilla Macy

Downstream of the falls and bridge is a ten foot slide and some wood before the confluence with the Hot Springs Fork of the Collawash.  I lost the footage of when I scraped down that part back in high school.

Doing Nohorn Creek through Pegleg Falls, followed by a park and huck of Blister Creek Falls would be a full and enjoyable day of paddling.  Blister Creek Falls is a half mile drive back towards town from Pegleg Falls.

From another day; 3,000ish cfs at Three Lynx.

Kory Kellum

Photo: Priscilla Macy

Flows:  The falls can be run at a wide range of flows, most of the photos above were taken with the Clackamas Gauge reading around 1,300 cfs.   3,000 cfs is a nice flow up there, 5,000 is even better.



                                                                          15,000 cfs
                                                               Video: Catherine Loke



Access:  From Estacada take Hwy 224 up the Clackamas River about 29 miles (about 14.5 miles past Carter Bridge, and 4 miles past the Ripplebrook Ranger station).  At this point take a right towards Bagby Hot Springs (paralleling the Collawash River for much of this portion of the drive). 3.5 miles later take another right towards Bagby Hot Springs. 

5.3 miles after this turn you will cross Blister Creek and can see the falls upstream from the bridge.  There are a couple pull outs on river right along with a short trail leading to the falls.

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The trail leads right to the lip, making for easy access for entry and to scout/pick markers.