Pringle Falls
Pringle Falls is a waterfall in Oregon, at a modelled elevation of 1,290 m. Tot Mountain stands 2,309 m to the north-northwest, 16 miles off. The nearest named place is Pringle Butte, a peak 1.2 miles away. Oregon Outback passes 7.8 miles off.
The story
Pringle Falls is a series of rapids or drops on the upper Deschutes River in the U.S. state of Oregon. From just downstream of Wyeth Campground, the rapids begin with about 600 feet (180 m) of whitewater rated class II (novice) on the International Scale of River Difficulty. The next 300 feet (91 m) is class III (intermediate] ending in a class IV (advanced) drop. Soggy Sneakers: A Paddler's Guide to Oregon's Rivers says, "Only expert kayakers should consider this drop, and only after scouting. It is definitely not a rapids for open canoes." The Northwest Waterfall Survey describes the rapids as "the first major waterfall along the Deschutes River" but qualifies this by adding that the waterfall has been reported to be a cascade series with a total vertical drop of 25 feet (7.6 m) spread over a horizontal distance of 850 feet (260 m). The survey notes that the falls cannot be seen from nearby roadways or other public property. Most boaters portage 1.5 miles (2.4 km) around the falls, taking out of the river at Wyeth Campground and putting back in below the falls at Pringle Falls Campground. Shorter portages are not feasible because the land on both sides of the rapids is private. The two campgrounds, one upstream and one downstream of the private land, are within the Deschutes National Forest.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q23926633, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
How to reach it
- 7.8 mi off the Oregon Outback, National
- 10.8 mi off the Cascade Lakes, National
- 24.9 mi off the West Cascades, National
Overlooks nearby
Named places within 25 miles
- Pringle Butte: 1.2 mi
- Cruiser Butte: 2.0 mi
- Wampus Butte: 3.1 mi
- The Rock: 3.2 mi
- Round Mountain: 5.2 mi
- Paulina View Disc Golf Course: 6.7 mi
- Frontier Heritage Park: 7.0 mi
- Ponderosa Park: 11.5 mi
- Besson Commons: 12.1 mi
- Mary McCallum Park: 12.4 mi
- Mountain Bike: 20.7 mi
- "Chicken": 21.9 mi
- Gilded River: 24.0 mi
- Mt. Bachelor Compass: 24.5 mi
- Sound Garden: 24.5 mi
- Multiple Springs: 11.8 mi
- Coyote Spring: 13.2 mi
- Kiwa Springs: 15.5 mi
- Wright Spring: 19.5 mi
- Spring (Hot): 20.4 mi
- Fall River Falls: 5.3 mi
- McKay Crossing Falls: 11.6 mi
- Paulina Falls: 16.4 mi
- Paulina Falls: 16.4 mi
- Benham Falls: 16.7 mi
- Cougar Buttress: 20.5 mi
- Power lines cliff: 21.9 mi
- Burley Bluff: 24.0 mi
- Tam McArthur Rim: 24.3 mi
- La Pine State Park: 5.2 mi
- Newberry National Volcanic Monument: 16.9 mi
- Cinder Cone Natural Area: 22.3 mi
- Little Cultus Lake Boat Ramp: 13.6 mi
- Lava Lands Visitor Center: 17.0 mi
- 1904 Miller Family Ranch and Sawmill: 20.5 mi
- Beach Day Use Area: 18.1 mi
- Meadow Day Use Area: 20.8 mi
- Gold Lake Day Use Area: 23.4 mi
- Paulina Hot Springs: 18.0 mi
- The High Desert Museum: 20.3 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 16.1 miles of Pringle Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tot Mountain | NNW 346° | 2,309 m | 16.0 mi |
| Kwolh Butte | NNW 346° | 2,242.718 m | 14.8 mi |
| Shoulder Butte | E 84° | 2,133.295 m | 16.1 mi |
| Sheridan Mountain | NNW 340° | 2,100.072 m | 11.8 mi |
| Cultus Mountain | WNW 292° | 2,058 m | 14.1 mi |
| Davis Mountain | SW 225° | 2,021 m | 11.2 mi |
| Lookout Mountain | NW 312° | 1,896.77 m | 6.0 mi |
| Ringo Butte | SSW 209° | 1,882 m | 15.2 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:10 | 18:41 | 19:19 |
| June solstice | 05:25 | 20:09 | 20:53 |
| September equinox | 06:54 | 18:28 | 19:06 |
| December solstice | 07:38 | 15:46 | 16:33 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Jun–Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 30 | 33 | 37 | 42 | 50 | 57 | 65 | 64 | 57 | 47 | 36 | 30 |
| Precip in | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 3.6 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Wickiup DAM, 6 mi away.
Months at or above the year’s average flow: May–Sep — fullest in Jul, leanest in Nov.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean cfs | 205 | 240 | 255 | 550 | 1,034 | 1,347 | 1,642 | 1,508 | 1,215 | 558 | 156 | 163 |
USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge Deschutes R BL Wickiup Res NR LA Pine, OR, 6 mi away — the nearest gauge, which can sit on a different stream.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/3611784691
Day trips start here
- Bend · 26 mi
Take the scenic way to Pringle Falls.
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