Salt Creek Falls  the second highest waterfall in Oregon is just 22 miles east of Oakridge. This falls is as high as Niagra Falls just not as wide.

This waterfall is in a campground with day use area only 3 miles from town. Lots of great trails and scenery can be found in this area.

Thousands of years ago, the top of a 12,000-foot-high volcano in the Cascade Range exploded. The massive pit left behind became known as Crater Lake, the centerpiece of a national park in southern Oregon that displays nature at its rawest and most powerful. Forests of towering evergreens and 2,000-foot-high cliffs surround the lake, where extraordinarily deep waters—at 1,943 feet, it's the deepest lake in the United States—yield an intense sapphire-blue hue. If winter hiking and cross-country skiing aren't your thing, wait until early July to visit, when the roads have been plowed and the trails cleared. Rim Drive, a 33-mile road that encircles the lake, has picture-perfect views from all sides. For a closer look, follow the mile-long Cleetwood Cove Trail to the shore. Brace yourself before diving in: The water temperature rarely rises above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Nearby: The laid-back mountain town of Oakridge just 99 miles away, offering miles of hiking and biking trails makes a nice home base for a Crater Lake day trip.