Toketee Falls drops about thirty-five metres in two steps over a wall of columnar basalt into a dark green pool, and it is one of the best waterfalls in Oregon. The North Umpqua River, which feeds it, runs through a narrow gorge of volcanic rock, and just above the falls it is squeezed into a channel so narrow that the whole river passes through a slot only a few metres wide. The columns of basalt, formed when lava cooled and cracked into hexagonal prisms, give the cliff the look of a giant organ pipe, and the water breaks around them in white threads.
The falls are reached by a short walk of about half a mile through Douglas fir forest from a parking area beside Highway 138, ending in a long wooden stairway with a viewing platform. The path is short but the steps are many, and in wet weather the boards are slick. Moss covers everything and the air is damp and cool, even on a hot day. A little further along the road, Umpqua Hot Springs is a series of natural pools above the river, popular with those who do not mind a steep path and a clothing-optional crowd.
The ride along Highway 138, called the Highway of Waterfalls, follows the North Umpqua through the Umpqua National Forest, with easy bends, shady forest and views of white water. East of Toketee, the road climbs toward Diamond Lake and, beyond it, the rim of Crater Lake, where a volcano called Mount Mazama collapsed some seven thousand years ago and left a deep blue lake. The road is well surfaced and the traffic is moderate, though logging trucks and campers dominate on summer weekends. Snow closes the higher sections in winter, so check conditions before heading up.
Services are limited around Toketee. The nearest fuel is in Glide to the west, and in summer Diamond Lake has a resort to the east, though it is wise not to rely on it. Fill the tank in Roseburg or Glide, and bring food. The river is also famed among fly fishermen for its steelhead, and the author Zane Grey fished here. Autumn, when the maples turn yellow beside the dark firs, is the best time for photographs and the best for quiet.