Pringle Falls, Cascading waterfall in Deschutes National Forest, Oregon, US
Pringle Falls is a cascading waterfall system in Deschutes National Forest that drops across roughly 850 feet (260 meters) of the upper Deschutes River, creating multiple whitewater sections of varying intensity. The water breaks into several distinct stages with increasingly difficult conditions, making this section of river visually dramatic and navigationally complex.
The falls took their name from O.M. Pringle, who claimed 160 acres of land in this area in 1902 through a government land program. This early-1900s settlement connection established the naming that has persisted to the present day.
Native Americans utilized the falls as a fish trap, creating channels to catch fish swimming upstream in the Deschutes River waters.
Boaters bypass the falls and rapids using a portage trail of about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) between Wyeth Campground and Pringle Falls Campground. This well-used route is necessary for anyone paddling through this river section.
The waterfall breaks into three distinct sections with progressively harder difficulty levels, with the final drop being the most challenging for paddlers. Many visitors expect a single cascade but encounter instead this graduated series of obstacles that increase in intensity downstream.
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