Bend pipeline project to close Tumalo Falls access road

Beginning next week, the Deschutes National Forest will be closing the road accessing Tumalo Falls to allow the city of Bend to replace the water pipeline.

On February 9, the City of Bend’s contractor Mortenson Construction will resume construction on the Bridge Creek Pipeline Replacement Project. The contractor will be installing pipe on Forest Road 4603, the road to Tumalo Falls, beginning at the east end and working west.

During construction, Forest Road 4603 will be closed to all public access, including skiing and snowshoeing .

Installing the pipeline requires trenching directly into the road bed, allowing no safe travel path on the narrow single-lane road. The Forest Service will keep the road closed until further notice.

Tumalo Falls and the trail system above it can still be accessed by foot or bicycle from the Skyliners Trailhead, as well as from the two-mile-long trail along the south side of Tumalo Creek.

Parking will be closed at the small lot at the east end of Forest Road 4603 and along Forest Road 4601. There is ample parking at the Skyliners Trailhead and there is designated parking along Skyliners Road between the Trailhead and Skyliners Lodge.

For more information on recreation access, please contact Amy Tinderholt, Recreation Team Leader, at 541-383-4708 or the Bend-Ft. Rock front desk at 541-383-4000.

For more information about the City of Bend’s Bridge Creek Pipeline Replacement Project, please contact Justin Finestone with the City of Bend at 541-388-5516 .