Hiking Paulina Creek Falls: Family-friendly hike in Central Oregon

Finding genuinely kid-friendly hikes is not always easy. You try to get recommendations by word of mouth; you search online; you flip through books. Well, if you’re looking for a family-friendly hike in Central Oregon, I have you covered: Hiking Paulina Creek Falls with kids is a slam-dunk family activity near Bend, Oregon.

Here’s the best part: Visiting Paulina Creek Falls with kids is low-effort and high payoff. The trail is short—less than a mile round-trip—and the views are stunning. If you’re planning family travel in Central Oregon, don’t miss this waterfall and super-easy hike. 

Read on to get details on how to hike Paulina Creek Falls with kids (and dogs!). I can’t wait to see your photos too!

Gorgeous Paulina Creek Falls in Central Oregon

Paulina Creek drains from the nearby Paulina Lake (pronounced Pau-LIE-nah, named after a Shoshone chief). This area lies within the Newberry Caldera, an area of Central Oregon formed by 500,000 years of volcanic activity. All the rock within this area is volcanic; you can notice the difference between the types of rocks and how they were formed from lava, from obsidian to basalt.

How to hike Paulina Creek Falls with kids

After you park in the turnoff for Paulina Creek Falls, walk past the restrooms on a paved trail. It that takes you to a viewpoint overlooking the falls. Start there.

The side-by-side falls, which drop about 80 feet, are breathtaking—look for a rainbow in the morning, when the sun is behind you. The creek comes from nearby Paulina Lake (which is also a wonderful place to hike, go out on a boat, fish or stay overnight in rustic cabins!)

You can hike up the creek a bit from here, if you like. (My older daughter loves choosing the path less traveled, a la Robert Frost, and took her time in this area of Paulina Creek!) You can also pack a snack to eat on the picnic tables here in the shade—a welcome break from the heat during hot Central Oregon summers!

After you see Paulina Creek Falls from above, it’s time to hike down to the pool below. Walk a bit back toward the day use parking area and from there follow a dirt path downhill. It’s hard to miss. The train is moderately steep in parts but is quite short—less than a mile. My older daughter, who had just turned 5, hiked it by herself; my younger daughter had fallen asleep so was carried the entire way!

After just a short hike, you’ll arrive at the viewing point at the base of Paulina Creek Falls. From below, the cascade looks even taller, and you get a much better view of the side-by-side falls. (You might see a rainbow here in the afternoon!)

When we visited, we saw people who had hiked up the rocks of the waterfall, but I definitely do not recommend doing this with kids. The rocks are slippery, and the fall would be treacherous if you lost your footing. Safety concerns did not prevent my adventurous daughter from begging us to let her climb the waterfall, though!

While you’re admiring Paulina Creek Falls, keep an eye out for wildflowers.

Logistics for Paulina Creek Falls: The details you need

Paulina Creek Falls are located about 35 miles southeast of Bend, Oregon. You’ll drive toward the Newberry Crater on Paulina Lake Road. Before you arrive at Paulina Lake, you’ll see a turnout on the left side of the road. This is the Paulina Creek Falls day use area where you’ll park.

Before you leave for this family-friendly Central Oregon hike, though, buy a day use pass. For $5, you can hike for a day—but you can’t buy the pass at the day use area. Buy one in Bend or at any Forest Service office. (The Every Kid in a Park Pass is also valid.)

The day use area has well maintained bathrooms—stop and use them here before hiking with kids. There are no bathrooms at the bottom of the trail where you’ll see a stunning waterfall view. 

Dogs are allowed on the Paulina Creek Falls trail.  Just keep them on leash—the trail is narrow in some parts and you don’t want them going rogue!

When to hike Paulina Creek Falls

If you and your kids snowshoe, this is a gorgeous trail to hike during the winter from the Paulina Creek Trailhead. Otherwise, know that the day use parking area opens in June, once winter snow has melted.

What to with families nearby in Central Oregon

Central Oregon has so many activities for families! When you’re done hiking, check out some of these kid-friendly attractions nearby.

Lava Tubes

Hiking underground through tunnels left by ages-old lava flows? Sign me up! My kids and I absolutely loved this uniquely Central Oregon activity that’s perfect for families.

I wrote a full post about hiking the Lava River Caves with kids; take a peek to see how much you and your kids will love it, too!

Newberry Crater

Much of Central Oregon used to be an area of active volcanoes. The Newberry Crater is an enormous stretch of land that was once covered in hot lava flows.

At the Newberry Crater, you can hike among dried lava that has since turned to rock and walk around the rim of a crater that was once the lip of a volcano.

High Desert Museum

This museum celebrates the geography, animals and cultures of the high desert. It’s an incredibly family-friendly activity in Central Oregon: Check out its outdoor play area, the indoor dress-up and climbing spot, the otter show and more.

For a run-down of this Central Oregon spot, read my full post on the High Desert Museum.

Crater Lake

If you’re up for more of a drive, Crater Lake National Park is two hours away. The road around the entire rim isn’t usually free of snow until mid-summer, but the roads to the main viewpoints are kept clear nearly year-round. Know that dogs are only allowed on paved stretches of road and paths so can’t hike with you here.

Whether you’re spending a ton of time in Central Oregon with kids or just passing through, hiking Paulina Creek Falls is a guaranteed way to experience this gorgeous country. The kid-friendly hike near Bend is easy and under a mile long with a beautiful payout. So next time you’re in Central Oregon, I know where you’ll be getting a little exercise—and a lot of Oregon beauty.