3 Hikes = 5 Waterfalls You've Never Heard Of

These are three hikes we've been very excited to share with everyone! Why? They feature five massive waterfalls that you've likely never have heard of, and the best part is that they're all located within an hour's drive from Portland, Oregon. 

Here are the highlights:

• 237-foot Pup Creek Falls
• 40-foot Spirit Falls
• 80-foot Memaloose Falls
• 70-foot Lower South Fork Clackamas Falls
• 120-foot South Fork Clackamas Falls

A journey down the steep canyon of Memaloose Creek and the South Fork Clackamas River will reveal the long-abandoned tunneling and pipe work of the South Fork Water Board, which began in 1915 in an effort to reroute additional water to Oregon City and West Linn. The project was expanded years later with help from the Works Progress Administration, and the main intake was moved upstream above the falls in 1939. The project involved miles of pipe and the construction of the tunnels you see today.

The Clackamas River Trail is favorite of Outdoor Project's Tweto brothers (Asmund and Halvor), and the mystery of the other two destinations was revealed by Outdoor Project kayaking Contributor Eric Adsit. It turns out if you want to discover a bunch of waterfalls, you just have to talk to a hardcore kayaker (they know them all!).

Maps for Spirit Falls and Clackamas + Memaloose Falls will be posted this Thursday (03.10.14).