The last time I was at Tumalo Falls, a couple of years ago, my wife and I couldn’t even get our vehicle near the parking area. We parallel parked on the shoulder of Forest Road 4603 and hoofed it to the falls, located west of Bend. I haven’t been back since.

I’ll spare you my waxing nostalgic about how, a decade or two ago, you could go for a hike or head there after work for a picnic with the family and almost always score a spot in the actual lot, or at least very close. In short, I might be done starting my hikes at Tumalo Falls, from which you can reach Mrazek, North Fork and other area trails. I’ll leave that for the more steadfast and goal-oriented folks. I just want some quiet time in the woods. For that, there is another nearby option that can take you to the falls and feels a little less blown-out: Tumalo Creek Trail.

Two Fridays ago, my 13-year-old dog, Kaloo, and I set out on the trail on a warm and sunny late-morning hike from Skyliner Sno-park, located about 10 miles west of Bend. As an AllTrails user named Jessica wrote on May 29, “It was easier to get parking at this trailhead than to drive to the falls.” Still, even this lot was largely filled upon our arrival. I wasn’t surprised, and Kaloo certainly wasn’t fazed.

From the trailhead, it’s just over 3 miles to Tumalo Falls on a singletrack trail lined with manzanita, which, by the way, smells heavenly in the late spring. I hadn’t been on the trail in some time, during which I’d forgotten how far the actual trail is located from the creek that it parallels. At least we could hear it, and at times see it, from this moderately easy path. Kaloo and I turned around just short of the falls, but there will be a next time. This trail is also an option for getting to the falls in winter, remaining open once the gate on 4603 is closed for the duration.