The Trail of Ten Falls in Oregon’s Silver Falls State Park
Whenever I find myself complaining about the Oregon rain, I’m always quick to remind myself that the state’s jaw-dropping beauty is thanks, in large part, to its dreary climate. The precipitation that drenches western Oregon for nearly nine months out of the year gives birth to a wonderland of lush forests and scenic waterways.
Without it, places like Silver Falls State Park would not exist.
The iconic Silver Falls State Park is a microcosm of what makes western Oregon so beautiful. It is verdant. It is lush. It features towering trees, a gurgling river, and a small winding canyon. The 9,200-acre park—surrounded by the farms and foothills of the Cascade Mountains—is an idyllic retreat into nature.
And yet nearly everyone comes to Silver Falls for the same reason: to see the string of silvery waterfalls that lie along the park’s fabulous Trail of Ten Falls.
SILVER FALLS STATE PARK IN OREGON
Silver Falls State Park is known for its verdant vegetation and its chain of gushing waterfalls. It is a paradise for hikers, photographers, and lovers of untouched natural landscapes. The state park lies 26 miles east of Salem, on highway 214, near Silverton. It is a popular day trip destination from Portland, Salem, and Eugene.
As Oregon’s largest state park, Silver Falls features more than a dozen waterfalls, an elaborate trail system, and established camping facilities. It is a jewel of the Oregon State Park System and one of the state’s most notoriously popular attractions.
Due to its convenient access and superlative beauty, Silver Falls can become crowded—especially on weekends and holidays. If possible, I recommend hiking the park’s Trail of Ten Falls on weekdays or early in the morning.
Though Silver Falls State Park is a popular day trip destination, the area’s numerous waterfalls (both within and outside of the park) merit a few days of exploration. Travelers who wish to spend the night near the state park can stay at the historic Silver Falls Lodge, which was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1940.
HIKING THE TRAIL OF TEN FALLS
The 8.7 mile loop through Silver Falls State Park is one of Oregon’s most legendary hikes. The trail passes a series of breathtaking cascades as it skirts a rocky canyon and descends along a riverbank. Additional cascades and rivulets populate the area’s cliffs in winter and spring. All around, lush trees and sword ferns provide a backdrop of brilliant greens.
The Trail of Ten Falls is not particularly strenuous. It maintains a relatively steady elevation throughout, and follows a well-defined and well-established path. Of all the hikes I’ve done in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, it provides the most payoff per ounce of effort.
Even nature-lovers with limited mobility can enjoy the grandeur of some of the park’s waterfalls. The park’s South Falls Viewpoint lies near the parking area, about a quarter mile from the trailhead. The waterfall is easy to access and spectacular. Its silvery curtain tumbles over a greenery-clad cliff and plummets into a pool below.
Similar to Seljelandsfoss Waterfall in Iceland, South Falls features a path that is carved into a cliffside behind the cascade. The cliff-hewn pathway is the best place to soak in the majesty of the waterfall—literally.
From South Falls, the Trail of Ten Falls continues along the Silver Creek Canyon, toward the parking area at North Falls. En-route, it passes a chain of photogenic cascades and provides scenic views of the swift-moving river.
From the North Falls parking lot, the trail follows a more direct return path that cuts through a pleasant forested area, along the canyon rim.
THE WATERFALLS OF SILVER FALLS STATE PARK
The Trail of Ten Falls starts at Silver Falls Lodge. It follows an 8.7 mile loop that encompasses the park’s most noteworthy cascades. In clockwise order of appearance, the waterfalls along the hike are: South Falls (177 ft), Lower South Falls (93 ft), Lower North Falls (30 ft), Double Falls (178 ft), Drake Falls (27 ft), Middle North Falls (103 ft), Twin Falls (31 ft), North Falls (136 ft), Upper North Falls (65 ft), and Winter Falls (134 ft).
Nine out of the ten waterfalls reside along the trail’s first five miles, between South Falls and Upper North Falls. Winter Falls is the only cascade along the second half of the loop. It is a small thin cascade that—true to its name—is best experienced in winter and early spring.
Of the ten waterfalls that lie along the pathway, four exceed 100 ft in height. Another four contain trails that bring visitors behind the cascading curtains of water.
TRAIL OF TEN FALLS ALTERNATIVES
Though the Trail of Ten Falls is the most popular hike in Silver Falls State Park, it is far from the only path to explore. Those who wish to complete an abridged version of the hike can take a shortcut that skips Twin Falls, North Falls, and Upper North Falls. The shortened loop is just over five miles long.
As an alternative, hikers with access to two vehicles can complete a shortened version of the hike that encompasses all but one waterfall (Winter Falls). By parking one car at South Falls and one at North Falls, it is possible to complete one half of the loop and still see nearly all the waterfalls along the way.
Each time I hiked the Trail of Ten Falls as a child, my family opted for the latter option.
WHEN TO HIKE THE TRAIL OF TEN FALLS
The Trail of Ten Falls near Silverton is a year-round destination. As such, each season presents a tradeoff.
In winter and spring, hikers will encounter fewer people and more voluminous falls. During Oregon’s wettest months, the lush forested landscape drips with water. Small cascades trickle down the river gorge and streak the greenery with tentacles of white. Trails can be muddy and slippery in places.
During summer and early autumn, Oregon’s Willamette Valley sees pleasant weather. The sunlight paints the forest in dappled light and brings out its million shades of green. Unfortunately, however, summer’s beautiful weather and long days mean that the Trail of Ten Falls is often teeming with people.
When we visited Silver Falls State Park over the fourth of July weekend, Winter Falls was little more than a trickle, and hikers clogged many of the pathways near the South Falls Parking lot.
The hike was still unquestionably worthwhile, but it made me realize the benefits of traveling to Silver Falls in the off season.
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Silver Falls State Park in western Oregon is a bucket list destination for waterfall-chasers. With the notable exception of Iguazu Falls in South America and the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, I can hardly think of a place that packs in more waterfalls per square mile.
As a native Oregonian, I often hear people praise the state’s scenery and then complain about the Pacific Northwest‘s rainy weather. But without plentiful precipitation, places like Silver Falls State Park wouldn’t exist.
So I’ll happily don my raincoat, trudge across the soggy and waterlogged earth, and welcome the rains that allow such beauty to flourish.
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