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OUTDOOR
Three Pools
Oregon Oasis
story & photos by Michael Oliver
Take a Dip in Nearby Swimming Holes
It’s August, and the dog-days of summer are unfolding in long, hot,
cloudless stretches. Unless you want to submerge yourself in the
murky depths of the Willamette River, a waterway better suited to
staying dry on a boat, you’ll need to get out of town for a refreshing
dip in nature. Luckily, not far outside the city limits lie countless swimming
holes to cool of your hot and bothered self.
Three Pools
Liquid Nirvana
Three Pools on the Little North Fork
of the Santiam River
Exploring all the swimming holes on this
one waterway alone could keep you occupied
until the chill and grey of fall creeps in, but
one of the most spectacular spots in the whole
state is Three Pools. Nestled at 1,600 feet in
the Willamette National Forest (fs.fed.us/r6/
willamette), this superlative swimming hole
is a veritable water park of volcanic chutes
and slides, waterfalls and jumping rocks, all
centered on the Caribbean-clear green water
of the Little North Fork of the Santiam River
near Salem.
If you need to work up a sweat before taking
the plunge, the four-and-a-half-mile-long
Little North Santiam Trail (#3338) meanders
along the river here, crossing over log bridges,
gorges and, of course, providing access to
many other smaller swimming holes where
you can chill out. Pick up the trail at the Shady
Cove Campground, which is less than a mile
58 PDXmagazine.com / August 2006