You might make a mistake if you drove to the Tumalo Falls trailhead and saw this…

then in just 1/4 mile you’re at the top of Tumalo Falls and see this…

You might turn around, get back in your car, and skip the 8-mile hike up to Happy Valley and back.

But if you stay and start up the Tumalo Falls trail, the next thing you know is silence all around you except for your own footsteps and the sound of rushing water. Scents of pine and warm earth fill your nostrils and each breath feels like it’s only yours, like you’re the only one who has ever breathed, and will ever breathe, that air. Your traveling companions along this trail are friendly faces of fellow hikers and dogs who smile at you in a knowing way – you wordlessly share that it’s such a privilege to see and smell and experience this place.