Dillon Falls (Deschutes County, Oregon)

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Dillon Falls
DILLON FALLS, DESCHUTES RIVER-DESCHUTES NATIONAL FOREST.jpg
Dillon Falls (Deschutes County, Oregon)
LocationNear Bend, Oregon
Coordinates 43°57′27″N121°24′44″W / 43.95750°N 121.41222°W / 43.95750; -121.41222 [1]
Type Cataract
Elevation4,034 feet (1,230 m)
Total height15 feet (4.6 m)
Number of drops1
Average width50 feet (15 m)
Watercourse Deschutes River

Dillon Falls are rapids on the Deschutes River in the U.S. state of Oregon near Bend in the Deschutes National Forest.

Contents

Unlike the nearby Benham Falls, Dillon Falls are not widely documented because they are hard to see. Trails provide a somewhat better view of the falls. The falls were named after Leander Dillon, a nearby homesteader. He died in 1907. [3]

Dillon Falls starts off as a dramatic 15-foot (4.6 m) drop, then become a steep and violent Class-5 rapids with a hazardously positioned tree in the center before ending as class 2 and 3. Experienced rafters can run the falls before taking out at Lava Island Falls downstream. [4]

Incidents

On July 19, 2025, a group of people were swept off the falls while nearby. One person was found dead at the scene and the other two were declared missing. Another person was found on July 20, rescue operations were still underway as of July 22. [5] [6]

See also

References

  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Dillon Falls
  2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Dillon Falls
  3. Dillon Falls on Waterfallsnorthwest.com
  4. American Whitewater (July 27, 2009). "Deschutes, Dillon Falls" . Retrieved December 31, 2009.
  5. Nguyen, Thao (2025-07-20). "1 dead, 2 missing after group swept over popular Oregon waterfall, authorities say". USA Today . Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  6. Rush, Claire (2025-07-21). "Oregon authorities confirm second death in fatal waterfall accident". Associated Press . Retrieved 2025-07-22.