| Prospect State Scenic Viewpoint | |
|---|---|
 Mill Creek Falls | |
 Interactive map of Prospect State Scenic Viewpoint | |
| Location | Prospect, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 42°44′16″N122°29′43″W / 42.7378°N 122.4954°W /42.7378; -122.4954 |
| Type | Plunge[1] |
| Total height | 173 ft (53 m) |
| Number of drops | 1 |
| Average flow rate | 100 cu ft/s (3 m3/s) |
Prospect State Scenic Viewpoint, is astate park south of the community ofProspect onOregon Route 62 inJackson County, in theU.S. state ofOregon. It was formerly known asMill Creek Falls Scenic Area, a private hiking area that was developed byWillamette Industries along theRogue River. Both Mill Creek Falls and Pearsony Falls are contained within the area, with Barr Creek Falls close by.[2]
Ahydroelectric dam was built in the 1920s which drained the narrowvalley containing the group of falls. A group of largeboulders appeared.[3] These have become a local attraction known as theAvenue of the Giant Boulders.
The Mill Creek Falls is the centerpiece attraction within the Mill Creek Scenic Area. Atrailhead developed by Boise Cascade[4][5] ends on a fork that leads to the Avenue of Boulders to the left and Mill Creek Falls and Barr Creek Falls to the right. The waterfall totals 173 feet high on Mill Creek shortly before it meets the Rogue River, and is one of the tallest cascades in Oregon. Mill Creek has lowsinuosity, and has a gently sloping terrain.[6] Yet, it flows through unstable banks which produce large amounts of sediment. Historically, the Mill Creek Falls area has moderate to frequent fires, primarily fromlightning, having been entirely burned at least once in the past.[7] For this reason it is common to see charred trees and snags surrounding the waterfall area.
Along Mill Creek Falls, the trailhead is Barr Creek Falls, a three-drop waterfall known as Bear Creek Falls.[8] It totals 240 feet of fall in three drops, the tallest and last drop is 150 feet. The name comes from the presence of a cattle bar next to the waterfall to prevent cattle from straying out of the boundaries of private ranches that neighbor the river.
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