Waterfalls in Oregon means the Columbia River Gorge to most people. That in spite of the beautiful falls found in the Coast Range and other parts of the western slope of the Cascades – then there is Mt Hood, as well. The obvious second choice for the newcomer would be Silver Falls State Park.

GENERALITIES

Silver Falls State Park encompasses ten waterfalls on one seven-mile-long trail. Some abate into near nothingness during the dry season, but during winter and spring, all pour with power and beauty. Even in late August, more than half remain respectable.

The waterfalls do not lie off the beaten path for tourists. A recent visit showed more out-of-state license plates than in-state. On nice sunny days – summer months present many opportunities – the small parking lot near North Falls can fill as quickly as any lot in the Gorge. The huge lot near the South Falls fills on the weekends. Either lot requires the $5 a day or $30 per year parking pass.

HISTORY FIRST

Waterfalls remain the main attraction to the park, but there is a bit of interesting history accompanying the overall story.

Silver Falls State Park is Oregon’s largest park at over 9,000 acres. As you drive into the park or walk the trails, the impression is of primeval forest. Wrong. Logging determined the main economic basis for the area first homesteaded in 1883. The area around the South Falls became platted as a town in 1888 though never more than a few dozen families called it their home. At the town’s peak, the town boasted of three stores, a small hotel, church, dance hall, tavern, granary and blacksmith shop to go along with several sawmills.

The logging appears to have been too successful. By the time the Depression hit impinging severely on the logging industry in Oregon, the little town was already disappearing.

Local photographer June Drake got together with the first superintendent of parks for Oregon, Samuel Boardman to push the idea of a park centered about the falls. The falls had earlier been a local tourist attraction, now Boardman took the idea further using the park as a centerpiece for the new state park system.

Enter the new deal

In 1935, the park got a shot in the arm when the federal government decided to include Silver Falls as a Recreational Demonstration Area. RDAs were selected for the purpose of making outdoor recreation available to large portions of the population, people who previously did not enjoy such opportunities. The RDAs developed through the efforts of the Civilian Conservation Corps – CCC – building lodges, campgrounds and trails through the park. A special branch, the Resettlement Administration – RA – became responsible for buying up land – condemning it in certain cases – to grow the park.

The CCC developed a camp for their use, working until 1942 replanting trees and reclaiming a land scarred by logging, forest fires and farming. Park structures went up according to National Park Rustic Aesthetics guidelines developed in the 1920’s. The South Falls Lodge identifiable for its CCC-style architecture served until the late 1950’s as a restaurant and after restoration in 1978, it serves as the information center for the park today.

As an RDA, Silver Falls grew to about 6,300 acres in size by 1947. There was some hope the park would achieve National Park status, but one of the NPS inspectors ruled against the notion because of the preponderance of tree stumps left from the logging era. As recently as 2008, efforts continued to attempt to bring the park into the NPS family, but the park remains as one of the main pearls within the State Park system. Of the forty-six RDAs, nine went on to become part of the National Park Service in one shape or another.

The success of the CCC is evident walking or driving through the park today. Forests have regrown giving the area once again a feeling of the primeval. The park was returned to the State in 1947. Over a million visitors see the park every year.

VISITING SILVER FALLS TODAY

NORTH FALLS area

Most people congregate around the South Falls where there is a large car park for day-users, a campground. There is a lodge-conference center, cabins for rent, larger “ranches” to allow bigger groups to meet together plus a dining hall further to the south from the main South Falls area.

From the north, you enter the park from the quaint town of Silverton located upstream about 14 miles. Silver Creek runs right through Silverton with Oregon Highway 214 going out of town twisting up out of the canyon moving south through farmlands and forests laying on higher plains above the canyon. Just as you enter Silver Falls Park, a smallish car park – with parking machines (cash only here – the machines at South Falls take cash and credit cards) for day or year parking passes. In the summer, come early on weekends or even clear sunny days during the week for the lot fills quickly.

upper north falls

Two waterfalls lie close at hand to your car from here – Upper North Falls and North Falls. Both are definitely worth the short walk. You cross over the pedestrian bridge spanning the North Fork Silver Creek and come to a trail junction. Go right on the trail which drops under the bridge just crossed and the highway bridge moving upstream along a delightful path along the stream. In a third of a mile, you come to the Upper North Falls.

The creek falls over a basaltic ledge for 65 feet in a large curtain. The Northwest Waterfall Survey website lists the falls with a 52.15 score (Multnomah Falls scores 89.92 for comparison). The width of the falls expands with the amount of water going over the falls. While sunny days are best and busiest for walking, there is something to be said for gray days when the park becomes much quieter.

Return the same way you came back to the trail junction.

north falls

North Falls lies in the downstream direction from the trail junction along the Canyon Trail. About a quarter mile on, you come to a first view of the falls from above. Here the trail moves under some basalt cliffs and down some stairs – slippery when wet, which is usually. The trail backs underneath the falls in a large cave carved out by the pounding waters over time.

At 136 feet, the falls lies third in height of all the waterfalls in the park. While it may stand in third place, the drama of the falls stands higher. The waters of the North Fork get compressed into a narrow fifteen-foot crack in the cliffs while the cave below extends for 100 feet wide with ceilings up to 75 feet above the trail. The cave amplifies the sound of the falling water creating an impression of even more power. Ferns wave in ceiling cracks through the mists of the water.

There are four waterfalls along the Canyon Trail, also known as the Trail of Ten Falls, where the path moves behind the falling waters. Here at North Falls, the cave is big enough where you can sit down without getting wet and take in the scene at length. North Falls rates in at a respectable 60.25 score.

TRAIL OF TEN FALLS

Listed on signposts as the Canyon Trail, this trail combined with the Rim Trail makes for a 7.8-mile loop taking in all eight waterfalls along the two forks of Silver Creek with two others dropping off smaller tributaries. The trail is very popular so you will not want for company. It is very easy to follow with only 1,300 feet of elevation gain along the way.

Further down the North Fork, you come Twin Falls – 31.33 rating – dropping 31 feet in two channels. In late summer, water levels can cause the twins to become a single fall. The falls lies about a mile down from North Falls.

Another third of a mile brings you to a trail junction with Winter Falls. Winter Falls drops 134 feet. Rating-wise, Winter Falls comes in at only 22.28 mostly because of its seasonality. The falls name comes from the best time to witness the falls, winter. It can dry up completely in late August. The falls lies a half mile to the south from the Canyon Trail with the side path ending at a small parking lot atop the fall on the main park road. Note, there are no parking machines here, so you need to have already purchased a parking permit if you park up there.

other north fork falls

Downstream from the trail junction with Winter Falls are two more falls along the North Fork – first Middle North Falls and then Drake Falls. Middle North Falls – rating 56.24 – drops 106 feet in a broad curtain some 60 feet wide during higher stream flows. With low flows, the channel of water narrows considerably. There is a path which moves behind the curtain, though unlike the other three cases where you can walk behind the waters, here the trail dead ends, and you return the way you came.

A short distance beyond is Drake Falls – 27.89 rating. Tumbling down 27 feet over a sloped basalt shelf, your view of the falls is best from a small viewing deck along the trail. The waterfall is named for June Drake, the local photographer through whose work partly the park came into being.

Another short distance brings you to a short side trail leading up Hulit Creek to Double Falls – 31.93 rating. Waters here drop the farthest in the park over a span of 184 feet. There are two tiered drops of 43 and 141 feet. The lower score reflects the seasonality of the waterfall. This is best appreciated in wetter periods though it does not dry up quite to the extent of Winter Falls.

Back to the Canyon Trail, a few more steps downstream past the bridge over Hulit Creek bring you to the last falls on the North Fork, Lower North Falls – 48.32 rating and a 30-foot drop. The falls forms a sheet of 50 to 60 feet wide. Best views are downstream of the falls.

Alternative way of experiencing some of the falls

Note that the North Fork is kayakable below the Middle North Falls. You have to walk your boats a ways and you are not allowed to access the creek just anywhere. Prior scouting from the trail is necessary. Besides the drops, logs can be a big danger in descending the creek. Check out Oregon Kayaking website for advice on kayaking the falls route – both high and lower water levels – or the route along the lower North Fork and main Silver Creek. There are several waterfalls downstream in an otherwise inaccessible part of the park.

The takeout is downstream at Silverton Reservoir. Access point is best from Winter Falls parking area, but you have 1.5 miles to walk your boat down the trail. Best time to go is Fall through Spring.

Moving on to the south fork

Just under another mile along the trail, you pass by a junction with the Maple Ridge Trail and soon walk under the veil of Lower South Falls. The rating here climbs to 60.66 for this falls dropping 93 feet. The cave behind the falls is nowhere as extensive as at North Falls, so you get a little wet. With lower water flows, the veil becomes more delicate.

Going further upstream, now on the South Fork Silver Creek, there are several switchbacks with wet steps to move up, so take care.

big daddy

In just under a mile, you now come to the biggest rated falls of the Ten, South Falls – 67.91. At 177 feet, the waterfall is the second highest in the park. South Falls has always been the center of the park and the surrounding waterfalls. An attraction onto itself. early promoters encouraged stunts at this falls, whether it was cars pushed over the side or a canoeist who survived the drop. This falls is a short distance from the large parking lots above. It is busy. And it is bust for a reason. The waterfall conforms to spectacular. South Falls is the fourth of the walk-behind waterfalls.

Just before the falls, the Canyon Trail goes off to the left to cross the creek and ascend the canyon wall in a couple of switchbacks. Stay straight for the path leading behind the falls. The grotto behind the falls lies somewhere between the size of North Falls and Lower South Falls. It is impressive and you might want to spend some time here watching the waters fall with the large splash pool below. The scene makes you glad you were not in the canoe going over the falls.

The trail continues to the top of the falls where you can peer over the rim. Summer weekends immerse you in humanity out to take selfies or just taking in the uniqueness of nature.