Tamolitch Blue Pool

Details

Region: Central Oregon Cascades

Location: National Forest Road 2672-655 (NF-655), McKenzie Bridge, OR 97413

DEN Rating: 8/10

Trail Length: 4.2 miles total (4.5 with extension)

Trail Type: out and back

Hike Time: 45 – 75 minutes to pool (one way)

Trail Difficulty: moderately easy 4/10, extension is difficult 7/10

Elevation Gain: 300 feet (sources vary 285-350)

Trail Surface: dirt, rocks

Popularity: 9/10 (10/10 May – Sept)

Family friendly: yes

Pet friendly: yes

Handicapped Accessible: no

Swimming: try it

Camping: no

Restroom: vault toilet at trailhead

Open Hours: day use only

Season: spring – fall, sometimes accessible in winter

Pass or Permit: NW Forest Pass or $5 day use pass payable at trailhead

Managed By: US Forest Service

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Tamolitch Blue Pool is one of Oregon’s most popular destinations. It’s hard to miss it on Instagram or in travel blogs. Why? Because Tamolitch Blue Pool is insanely beautiful! It’s waters are a sparkling sapphire blue with perfect clarity. The view from above is one of the best you’ll find anywhere – mesmerizing and hypnotic. A visit here is well worth the relatively easy hike. Travel videos often hype a location up to be more than it is, but in this case nothing on Instagram, Tik Tok, or YouTube can do it justice. This is a place you have to experience to actually believe it.

A young Bigleaf Maple tree stands guard over the hypnotic, jewel-toned water of Oregon’s fabled Tamolitch Blue Pool on the headwaters of the McKenzie River.

Presiding Over Blue Pool – H

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A bigleaf maple tree stands guard on the shore of jewel-toned Tamolitch Blue Pool. It took awhile to find the steep scramble path down to the shore to capture this image looking across the unbelievably pure water. A forest fire had started nearby the night before, and as I arrived at the pool a thin … Read more

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Tags: Blue Pool, McKenzie River, Oregon Cascades, Oregon forest, Tamolitch Blue Pool

Tamolitch Blue Pool (tamolitch means “bucket” in Chinook jargon) was formed very recently from a geologic perspective, when 1,600 years ago a lava flow from nearby Belknap Crater buried three miles of the McKenzie River. Starting at Carmen Reservior, the river now travels underground and reemerges in the Blue Pool. In spring and fall there are springs around the edge of the pool where the water cascades beautifully into the pool. In summer, when flows are lower, the water simply oozes out of the rock from below the waterline. If you’re lucky enough to be able to visit when water levels are extremely high you will get the rare chance to see Tamolitch Falls actually dropping into the pool – this only happens a handful of days out of the year.

The McKenzie River is known for being both glass clear and shockingly cold. The extreme cold and swiftness of the water does not allow algae to grow. In addition, the lava flows above the pool filter out all particulates. And since the purer water is the more blue it appears, the result is the unparalleled sapphire clarity which makes Blue Pool such a sight to behold. The pool is 30 feet deep, but it appears much less because you can see every tiny pebble and little stick at the bottom.

The pure waters of Tamolitch Blue Pool ripple in bright shades of blue, turquoise, and green.

The pure waters of Tamolitch Blue Pool ripple and swirl in bright shades of blue, turquoise, and green. The extreme clarity allows sunlight to penetrate and refract in the ripples, as well as the color of objects and shadows on the bottom to mix and distort, creating a mesmerizing display.

Blue Pool Fantasy

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The pure waters of Tamolitch Blue Pool ripple and swirl in bright shades of blue, turquoise, and green. To visit Tamolitch Blue Pool: https://denphototravel.com/2024/tamolitch-blue-pool/

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Tags: Blue Pool, McKenzie River, Oregon rivers, Tamolitch Blue Pool, water

Getting to the Tamolitch Blue Pool is relatively easy via the McKenzie River Trail. Most people access it by hiking up from the downstream trailhead at Trailbridge Reservoir, which is the hike I describle below. The other option is to hike downstream from Carmen Reservoir, which is a longer 7.7-mile round trip hike.

The hike begins with an easy stroll through a gorgeous old-growth forest growing on a flat bench along the river. Enjoy this part of the hike – it is always cool and shady, with the babbling river almost always in view. After crossing a neat curving bridge (your 1/4th of the way there checkpoint) the character of the hike changes quite a bit. The flat ends, and for the next 1/4th of the hike the trail climbs up until you reach a view of the McKenzie River crashing through a boulder-choked canyon.

The second half of the hike is through a lava flow. The trail is much thinner than it was, with loads of rocks underfoot. The trail dips and crests over and over as it bobs and weaves through the rock. Thankfully there are some bigger trees growing amongst the chunky lava, otherwise this section would be quite hot in the summer months. The variation in this hike makes the hike more interesting than most. You may need to step aside for mountain bikes or to let others pass. Finally the trail emerges at an incredible viewpoint above the lower end of the pool. Now find a spot to post up for a moment and take it all in!

It is possible to get to the bottom of the pool, but beware that the journey to the water’s edge is much more challenging (7/10) than the hike you’ve just done. To get there, continue around the clifftop edge, staying fairly close to the edge. Cross the dry channel, then head right to stay near the clifftop. There are a lot of different scramble paths around and it becomes a bit of a “choose your own adventure” so staying near the cliff edge is the easiest way to figure out the shortest route. You’ll finally reach a steep rocky chute on your right – descend down to the water and you’ve made it! Continue left along the water to reach a few other little hangout spots around the pool. Getting to the pool’s edge takes about 10 minutes, especially if you’re not totally sure how to get there.

Be aware that Tamolitch Blue Pool is extremely popular. Do not expect to have this spot to yourself. Parking can be it’s own adventure, so get there early or visit in the evening to get a spot closer to the trailhead. On summer weekends you may have an extra mile to walk between your vehicle and the trailhead, or even have to wait for a spot to open up – it’s that popular!

Looking down onto the unbelievably clear and blue water of Tamolitch Blue Pool. — *Looking down onto Blue Pool from the spur trail en route to the water’s edge. A nearby swimmer makes expanding circles of ripples on the surface.*

A bigleaf maple tree grows out over Tamolitch Blue Pool's clear and vividly-blue water.

Looking across the pool from the first spot you come to at the pool’s edge. The main viewpoint looking over the pool is on top of the cliff above the tree.

Presiding Over Blue Pool – V

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Tags: Blue Pool, McKenzie River, Oregon Cascades, Oregon forest, Oregon rivers, Tamolitch Blue Pool

Swimming at Tamolitch Blue Pool

Yes that water looks tantalizing, especially on a hot summer day. Swimmer beware! The water hovers around 37F / 3C year round. The water is so cold that it hurts. Hypothermia can set it within a few minutes. That being said it is popular, even a rite of passage, to take a quick dip in the frigid gemstone water. Most folks just jump in quickly then get right out. When I was there a guy brought a full wetsuit and snorkeling gear down to the pool so he could stay in a bit longer. And yes of course there was some bro who decided to jump off the cliff into the pool. A lot of people have died doing this, partially because of shock from the sudden extreme cold. Maybe don’t be that guy!

Cautions

There are no guard rails along the clifftop viewpoints, so stay back and be vigilant of your pets and little ones. Getting to the water’s edge is fairly difficult so don’t try this with pets, young children, or if you have any mobility issues. Only get in the water on hot summer days. The hike up gets very rocky so wear good hiking boots and be aware of your dog and how they are faring should you bring your pet (the rocks can be sharp and also hot in the summer). Bring lots of water and wear sunscreen – the sun is more intense at higher elevations and the second half of the hike is fairly exposed.

The jewel-toned water of Tamolitch Blue Pool in Oregon is lit up by late afternoon sun. — Shadow grows in the pool as afternoon advances, darkening the water and allowing stronger reflections. Using a polarizing filter could have reduced them, but the glowing green added to the scene in my opinion so I did not use one in this shot. This view is from the second spot by the water’s edge.

Getting There

Tamolitch Blue Pool located off Hwy 126 in the McKenzie / Santiam Pass area. From McKenzie Bridge, head east/north (the road turns) on 126. From Clear Lake or Santiam Pass junction head south on 126. Turn onto FS-370 (left if coming from McKenzie Bridge, right if coming from Clear Lake), signed for Trailbridge Reservoir and Tamolitch Blue Pool. Cross the bridge, then turn right onto FS-655. Parallel park on the right along the road – the line of cars can be insanely long, then continue up the road to the trailhead, which is just uphill of the pay station and vault toilets.

Photographer’s Tip

You’ll get the least tree shadow intrusion on the pool and the richest water color in the middle of the day. Work your way around the clifftop for various angles. A polarizing filter can help get rid of reflection on the water surface, especially if you’re at the water’s edge where reflections will naturally be stronger as you look across the surface to a greater degree. Get here early for less people hanging out around the water. There’s nice fall color around the edge of the pool by mid-October. The springs run into the pool in the spring, then start again once fall rains return regularly.

Abstract photo of clear blue water rippling, distorting the dark objects below.

Tamolitch Blue Pool in Oregon’s Willamette National Forest lives up to it’s name. The ripples in the clear blue water are as fascinating up close as the entire scene is as a whole.

Blue Pool Surface 3

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Tamolitch Blue Pool in Oregon’s Willamette National Forest lives up to its name. The ripples in the clear blue water are as fascinating up close as the entire scene is as a whole. To visit Tamolitch Blue Pool: https://denphototravel.com/2024/tamolitch-blue-pool/