Sweet Creek Trail is in the Siuslaw National Forest a short distance from Mapleton. First approved to be built in 1989 the trail was officially opened in the summer of 1996. The Forest Service put considerable effort into building this trail, including two sections built on elaborate walkways anchored to shear rock. This is a wonderful trail that takes you past numerous waterfalls and displays some interesting geology. The total one-way distance is three miles and there are four trailheads for access. The lowest section, upstream from the Homestead Trailhead, flows through sandstone, with many small falls as the creek drops from rock shelf to shelf. This is an especially interesting portion of the creek. The erosive action has carved away the layers of sandstone into abstract patterns and during the low summer runoff this is a great place for wading and exploring. The very lowest section from Homestead to the first waterfall is rated wheelchair accessible. Furthur upstream the creek flows through basaltic rocks and changes in character. The falls are larger and the stream is wilder, less accessible. Sweet Creek Falls, the largest of the falls at 90', is upstream of the second trailhead. The whole falls is difficult to see from any one place as it twists through a narrow chasm. If you ford the stream below the falls you can find the trail and follow a side trail upstream to a view point that allows you to see the complete falls. The continuation of the main trail will take you to the Wagon Road trailhead. This will be a good winter access point to the Sweet Creek Falls view point when high winter runoff makes fording the stream unsafe. These photos taken in July and August, 1997

The trail is easy to find. Turn south off of Hwy 126 just east of the Siuslaw River bridge at Mapleton onto Sweet Creek Rd. Follow this road for 11 miles to the first trailhead, Homestead. The Sweet Creek Falls trailhead is another 2 mi. further up, the Wagon Road trailhead another mile or so beyond that.

Update, Feb 15, 1998 It is always interesting to visit a stream-side trail in winter when the volume of water flowing is greater. Sweet Creek is a completely different experience when it is a raging torrent of water. The little tributaries that flow into Sweet Creek become impressive small falls and the sound of rushing, falling water is everywhere. We hiked from the Homestead Trailhead to Sweet Creek Falls and back, then drove to the Wagon Road Trailhead. From there we hiked downstream to the Sweet Creek Falls viewing spot. The difference between the falls in summer and winter is impressive. We then hiked back and continued upstream above WR Trailhead and explored trail that was new to us. There are several more small falls along this section worth viewing but the arrival of a real Coast Range downpour ended further exploration this day.