Benham Falls

Six thousand years ago, Lava Butte erupted and rerouted the Deschutes River, creating Benham Falls — a Class 5 cascade rated the largest on the upper Deschutes. The falls hit a 25-foot drop through a narrow gorge, though they read less like a waterfall than a sustained, furious argument with the rock. From the East Day Use Area, it's a 0.7-mile walk one way to the overlook. Spring, when snowmelt swells the river, is when the falls earn their reputation.