Oregon’s biggest state park has 10 waterfalls on one trail, and you can walk behind four of them

You can walk behind four of them

Silver Falls State Park spreads across more than 9,000 acres in Oregon’s Cascade foothills, about 20 miles east of Salem.

Most people come for the Trail of Ten Falls, a 7.2-mile loop through a canyon carved by volcanic rock and ancient water.

What they don’t expect is that four of those waterfalls let you walk directly behind the falling water. That part doesn’t show up in the photos.

Logged land that grew back into deep forest

The Kalapuya and Molalla peoples lived in the Willamette Valley for thousands of years before the land around Silver Creek got stripped by logging and farming in the early 1900s.

By 1931, local photographer June Drake was pushing hard to buy the land back and protect it.

The park was dedicated in 1933, and from 1935 to 1942, Civilian Conservation Corps crews replanted trees, cut trails, built bridges, and raised the structures still standing today.

Walk the canyon now and the forest feels like it’s been there forever.

Step behind South Falls, 177 feet of water overhead

South Falls is the park’s signature drop. It falls 177 feet in a wide sheet over a basalt cliff, and a paved trail from the main parking area gets you there in minutes.

The trail then curves down and behind the falls through a natural alcove carved into the rock.

The geology explains it: softer sandstone sat beneath the harder basalt cap, and millions of years of erosion hollowed out the space behind. Inside the alcove, the sound bounces off every surface.

You will get misted. Plan for it.

North Falls hides a cavern the size of a small house

On the park’s north end, North Falls drops 136 feet through a crack in the basalt.

It’s the only waterfall in the park you can see from the highway, but the highway view doesn’t prepare you for what’s behind it.

The recess extends roughly 100 feet back from the curtain of water, with a ceiling that rises to 75 feet in places.

You can reach it from its own trailhead in about a quarter-mile walk, which makes it worth stopping for even if you’re not hiking the full loop.

A lot of people call it the most dramatic waterfall in the park.

Two more walk-behind falls with fewer crowds

Lower South Falls drops 93 feet along a narrower path with a stone wall running along the edge to keep you close to the rock.

Middle North Falls drops 106 feet and has a dead-end trail built just for the view behind the water, no through-route, nothing functional about it except the sight.

These two see far less foot traffic than South Falls and North Falls. If you want the walk-behind experience without the crowds, this is where you find it.

The chance to go behind four separate waterfalls on a single trail is what sets Silver Falls apart.

The other six falls each have their own shape

Double Falls is the tallest waterfall in the park, tucked off a short side trail near the Canyon Trail. Winter Falls stands 134 feet but runs on a seasonal tributary, so it peaks during the rainy season.

Twin Falls splits into two side-by-side streams, which gives it a different look from everything else on the loop. Drake Falls and Lower North Falls run smaller but fill out the canyon scenery as the trail moves through.

Upper North Falls sits at the far eastern end of the loop and draws less foot traffic than most of the others.

Shorter loops if you don’t want the full seven miles

The full Trail of Ten Falls isn’t your only option.

A one-mile loop from the South Falls parking area takes you down to the base of South Falls and back. The 2.6-mile Maple Ridge Loop passes two waterfalls and returns you to the South Falls area.

If you want more ground without committing to all 7.2 miles, the five-mile Winter Falls Loop covers seven of the ten waterfalls.

Multiple trailheads and connecting paths let you put together whatever distance fits the day.

Horses, bikes, fishing and more past the canyon

The waterfalls get most of the attention, but the park has more than 35 miles of backcountry trails open to hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders.

The Howard Creek Horse Camp has equestrian sites with corrals for visitors who bring their own horses. Silver Creek has fishing, and the South Falls Day-Use Area includes a swimming area for warmer months.

The same area has picnic shelters, barbecue stands, a playground, horseshoe pits, and an off-leash space for dogs.

Lava flows from 15 million years ago built this canyon

The canyon’s shape goes back more than 15 million years, when lava from the Columbia River Basalt Group buried older sandstone that had formed beneath an ancient ocean.

As the softer sandstone eroded beneath the harder basalt cap, the waterfalls and alcoves took shape. The CCC crews in the 1930s widened some of those natural pathways to make them safe to walk.

Keep an eye on the canyon walls while you hike.

You can find tree casts in the rock where hot lava once engulfed living trees and left hollow molds behind.

The 1940 lodge still has its original CCC-built furniture

CCC workers built the South Falls Lodge around 1940 using stone and timber in the National Park Service rustic style.

Inside, many of the original myrtlewood benches and tables made by Works Progress Administration craftsmen are still in place.

The lodge and surrounding structures went on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The Silver Creek Youth Camp, also built during the New Deal era, sits on the register separately.

Today the lodge serves as a visitor information center and stays open year-round.

The South Falls area has drawn crowds since opening day

The South Falls Day-Use Area opened in 1933, and it’s been hosting family reunions, potlucks, and weddings ever since. You’ll find spacious lawns, picnic shelters, and the stone lodge all in one place.

A nature store inside sells souvenirs and local crafts, with the proceeds going back to the park. On the opposite end, the North Canyon Day-Use Area has picnic tables and an accessible viewpoint of North Falls.

More than a million people visit the park each year, and most of them pass through this area.

Camping close enough to walk to the trailhead

The main campground sits just below the South Falls Day-Use Area, within walking distance of the trailhead. You can choose from tent sites, RV spots with electric and water hookups, or rental cabins.

Reservations open through Oregon State Parks up to six months in advance, and summer fills fast. The park stays open year-round, though winter can bring ice and snow to the trails and roads.

Cell service inside the park runs thin, but the South Falls Lodge has free Wi-Fi if you need it.

Visit Silver Falls State Park in Oregon

To get to Silver Falls State Park, head to 20024 Silver Falls Hwy SE in Sublimity. From Salem, about 20 miles to the west, take Highway 22 east and follow the signs.

From Portland, about 60 miles north, take I-5 south and connect to Highway 214 through Silverton. The park is managed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Check the official website for current day-use fees, campsite availability, and trail conditions before you go, especially in winter.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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