Silver Falls State Park

****MUST-​VISIT for anyone visiting or new to the Pacific Northwest***
I took a visiting friend here this last weekend.
It was my first time as well. I WANT to give this place ⁵⁄₅ for its incredibly wondrous beauty but I can’t because the mapping and trails are so confusing that we almost didn’t make it out before nightfall. Why can’t the state park color code their trails? A sign that says «Rim Trail» that’s pointing two different directions in the middle of a forest at a fork in the road is the most confusing and inefficient logic I’ve come across at a state park.
Besides that, EXCELLENT! Clean bathrooms, amazingly clean and well-​kept nature, friendly passerbys and affordable day parking for $ 5.00.
Will take everyone and their mom here.

Great Hiking Trail Loop! some of the falls could be empty during summer to fall… but with 2016 El Nino rain, the falls should be roaring just about now!

This is an amazing place. We went in January and it is way to icy to walk to the base of the falls. I fell trying. Such a beautiful place. I definetley want to come back. The icecycles off of the rocks were a site to see in its own.

I’m not sure why it’s called Trail of Ten Falls… because I only fell once!
Although I left with a bruise and some dirty pants, this hike was so worth it! With ten beautiful waterfalls around an 8.7 mile loop, this was a great Christmas Day adventure.
I’m sure it’s much nicer in the summer, but with our limited time in Portland, we didn’t want to miss out on this gem.
Yes, if we can hike this in 35 degree weather, YOU CAN TOO! (Of course with warm pants, jacket, hat, gloves, and thick socks)
The first waterfall is very unexpected because it’s right at the start. You hear the rushing water and once you turn that corner, BAM! Huuuge waterfall right in front of you, and that’s only the beginning!
There are tall, short, wide, mini, loud, tinkling waterfalls — literally one for whatever Goldilocks desires. I was most excited for Drake Falls, but Drizzy didn’t quite impress. Sorry. My favorites were probably Double Falls and Winter Falls! So beautiful. There are a few you can even walk behind whaaat?!
Overall, this was a great hike that’s pretty easy, incline wise. Just make sure to watch out for the puddles. Your feet will most likely be wet and cold by the end if you go in the winter.
Happy Hiking!

The trail of ten is amazing! Well kept trail with beautiful scenery; from waterfalls to giant Douglas firs. This park has made it to my top ten favorite state parks.

Silver Falls State Park is supposedly the crown jewel of the Oregon state parks system. There is definitely no argument from me. It is one of the most amazing showcases of nature I have ever seen. The park is known for its ten waterfalls. While not every fall is equally spectacular, it is truly extraordinary that ten falls could form in a way that you can hike around in a circular pattern to see them all. I have never seen anything like it. Moreover, you are able to walk behind a couple of the larger falls (e.g. North Falls and South Falls) as the trails run behind them. The Ten Falls Trail is a little less than 9 miles and can be done between 3 – 4 hours. The elevation gain is not difficult and there are staircases in areas where there would be a steep climb. The Ten Falls Trail is a combination of the Canyon Trail and Rim Trail. I started at the north parking lot. The main parking lot is at the south falls, which also has the restrooms. However, it does not matter where you start since the paths connect in a circle. If you are a tourist without a pass for the park, there are envelopes at the parking lot where you can deposit the $ 5 fee and write down the information about your car. The ideal time to do this hike is the summer. I hiked at this park during winter. The snow on the foliage provided an amazing background as I explored the park. Unfortunately, it was below freezing in the preceding days and certain parts of the paths had a lot of ice. While I did not feel I was in a very dangerous situation, I slipped and wiped out once. There are parts of the trail you definitely do not want to slip off. Consequently, I definitely recommend visiting this park in the summer or when you know that it has been above freezing in recent days. It will be a much more enjoyable experience if you dedicate all of your focus on the views instead of worrying about slipping on ice.
If you are traveling the Portland area and looking for recommendations, please see

Silver Falls’ trails have to rank among the easiest and least demanding in this part of the state. There is very little climbing required. In fact, you can get a hell of a view of the South Falls without even doing any hiking — there’s a cobblestone path which connects directly to the parking lot. But for a leisurely hike, there are numerous waterfalls you can see without breaking much of a sweat. Fine by me!
When we visited, we decided to take the Winter Falls trail. Word to the wise: during the summer some of the waterfalls kind of vanish. I think hiker etiquette dictates that those coming back from the falls should warn those heading out there that they’re dried out. But there are enough non-​invisible waterfalls to make up for that problem.
$ 5 to park, and parking is ample. Bathrooms are clean-​ish.

I came here earlier this month with my family, and it was beautiful! Never have I seen more green and waterfalls in one place before. We hiked from the north falls to the double falls and then came back down on the enter trail and back to north falls. We didn’t want to walk all the way back from south falls so we drove to south falls and hiked to the lower south falls. We hiked for a total of 7 miles that day.
The trails are nicely paved, and the incline is pretty gradual. I would say that this is pretty beginner hike in that it’s pretty flat for the most part. It can get a little muddy on some parts of the trail because of the water but the majority of the trail was dry. The air was really fresh despite the nearby fires. Unfortunately, a lot of the waterfalls are smaller than previous years due to the drought but still are beautiful! For the bigger falls, there’s usually a part of the trail that wraps around the back of the waterfall, so that you can see it from the back also.
Parking is $ 5 and you only have to pay once even if you go to different lots in the park. I definitely recommend hiking here and seeing the natural beauty that Oregon has to offer!

10 waterfalls in one hike? Way cool!
PARKING: Plenty of parking available for hikers/​campers/​visitors, only $ 5 as it’s a state park. You can ask for a map which will show you where the waterfalls are and which trailhead to start at. There is plenty of parking where the South Falls are and also a small parking lot right by the North Falls.
DISTANCE: For the whole «10 waterfalls in one hike» experience = 8.7 miles round trip (says the map). But you can start at different trailheads if there are certain waterfalls you want to se.
WATERFALLS: We came later in the afternoon, so we were chasing the sun down. Didn’t want to be hiking at night! We primarily went to go see the South and North Falls. Both are relatively short hikes and two of the grandest waterfalls here!
South Falls is a quick hike — there is the South Falls (a little over a mile loop) and also a Lower South Falls (instead of taking the loop, keep going down the trail and then down a lot of stair steps).
North Falls is a SUPER quick hike. Don’t get confused! Take the CANYON TRAIL (not the Rim Trail) to get to the cavernous cutout to walk behind the North Falls. It’s an awesome view! I’ve never seen anything like it! There are 78 stair steps that take you down to the cavernous cut out — take it back up to get back to the parking lot. If you have time to spare, also check out the Upper North Falls. This is a smaller waterfall, but very quick and short hike under the overpass.
Hope to make it back here to check out the other waterfalls in the park!

Oh man — even during the OR drought, this place is so, so, so freaking nice (as are most of the places in Oregon). 10 (!) waterfalls along the hike, so much green that there is moss dripping off all the tree branches. Magical. And the elevation isn’t so bad either, so a great hike overall. And even during the holiday weekend, it didn’t feel too crowded. I bet during the week this place is even all the more spectacular in solitude.

Clean restrooms with flushing toilets, quite a bit of parking, clearly marked trails, and a coffee stand… Oh, plus it’s beautiful! I don’t understand why you would go anywhere else.
I came here on a Sunday morning with three friends around 11am. After we paid (there is a small fee associated with this park ($ 5/​vehicle) but it’s well worth it) we snagged a parking spot and hit up the restroom. Then we ended up hiking the South Falls trail, which was (unfortunately) quite crowded, but it was the weekend… I bet on a weekday this would be crowd-​free making it truly idyllic. Even with the crowds of humans (including screaming kids) I couldn’t help but stand in awe at the beauty of this park. Were it crowd-​free I might’ve been tempted to build a log shack and take up residence like a hermit.
The trails are well maintained, with portions that are so well maintained they’re paved. Parts of the trail do have low clearances as you go behind the waterfalls so those of you that are taller should be prepared to duck. Other than that do the usual: good hiking shoes, lots of water, sunscreen, and maybe snag a coffee before trekking through the woods then enjoy, it’s impossible not to.

What a wonderful state park! After driving along windy roads, miles and miles of flat farmland you come across this huge state park. I kept wondering as we drove along, how are we ever going to get to a place where there could be waterfalls?
Nicest of campsites, large, private (although there are a few that aren’t), flat, clean. Bathrooms are good for both toilets and showers. Availability to purchase wood and ice. We only stayed one night, but made a note to stay longer next time we are here.
This is all well and good as far as camping goes, but what’s beyond that is even more wonderful. The Tail of Ten Falls takes you on a seven mile hike to view these falls. Breathtaking and a fairly easy walk. You can walk a short distance, the majority of time on a paved bike path to the Lower South Falls, walk behind the falls — very cool. (The farther you walk, the more waterfalls you see). Head over to the Nature Store, or Lodge for a bite to eat, or bring a picnic to the swimming hole. We were there on a Friday and the place felt like there were only a dozen or so other people there. My understanding is that it gets pretty crowded on the weekends.
Curfew enforced. Buzzing during the day and quiet at night. Activities for the kids, talks at the amphitheater, etc.
Camping, biking, hiking and swimming, all for the taking. Hiking is okay for kids, not young kids — mine are 12 and 14 and they did just fine. In fact, they loved the waterfalls and swimming hole. Plus thought the campground was pretty cool. I had them check out the evening talk at the amphitheater about bears and they reported back that it would be good for younger kids.

It’s an amazing hike! The hike is not too strenuous. I think we finished within a few hours. The waterfalls are all so gorgeous! Some of them you actually get to walk behind the waterfall! It’s so serene and calming behind the waterfall. You just get tucked into this magical cave and experience nature without civilization getting in the way. It’s really neat!
You have to pay for parking when you get here but it’s worth it!

The family and I are camping here! super clean restrooms awesome campsite :)
We went for a hike today and went to the first two waterfalls amazing :-) I definitely recommend this place to anyone!
I would not recommend bringing a stroller or small children… Lots of rocks and cliffs

This is a beautiful park, our first time here and is now our favorite falls in Oregon/​Washington! Only $ 5 per car, we only got to see two of the 10 falls, but we’re definitely going back and hopefully we get to see all ten falls. We had a great time, great to go hiking, take the kids, for great pictures, picnics, great to spend a lovely day!
One of our favorite things was being able to go behind the waterfall, and so many great views, can’t believe we waited so long to visit this beautiful park.
You should really visit this park, you won’t regret it, but go prepared to walk, you’ll love this place. :)

I really like this hike, although I admit I was slightly disappointed. I usually hike in the Columbia River Gorge and thought this hike would be comparable to some of my other hikes… but I didn’t feel challenged at all. But I guess that isn’t a bad thing. It is a good place to go if you are a beginner hiker and just want to look at pretty waterfalls. Or I suppose if you are going on a date and don’t wanna look super gross and scare your date away… this would be a good location to hike. But if you are expecting a hike like Dog Mountain, you besta turn around because this hike isn’t going to challenge you. I went with a group of friends and we decided to hike North Falls. The highlight was going around the cave like area behind the waterfall. It was beautiful, but a little chilly, so bring a light jacket for when you reach that point. The hike was very peaceful and quiet

I’ve been going to silver falls state park since I was a young lad. I’ve never been there and not had a great time. The atmosphere is awesome, everyone is just loving the scenery, and there is some wildlife.
I’ve had a number of really good dates that I’ve taken there as well, because it’s a great way to get to know someone with a chat and a hike.
It’s a half hour from Keizer, but it’s never felt like too far away.
If you’re looking for something inexpensive to do in the Salem area, it doesn’t get much better than going to see the falls at this place! It’s definitely for the whole family

If you love to hike this state park should be a must on your to do list. The Trail of Ten Falls (8.7 miles) is easily hiked by folks who are in decent shape. We hiked it in 3 and a quarter hours. At $ 5 dollars this place is a deal.
The falls and surrounding area are simply spectacular. It is hard to describe the natural beauty of this park. My advice is to hike early. We started out fairly early and had the first 6 + miles to ourselves. By the end of the hike the trails started to resemble the I5 going to Vancouver at 4 PM on a Friday. It is certainly understandable given the park beauty but for the best experience get cracking early; you will not regret if.

Silver Falls is one of the most popular state parks in the Oregon State Parks system. It is one of the few at which you pay to gain entrance while, in neighboring California, it appears that you pay in most of them to get in. Regardless, the entry cost is a nominal $ 5. If a person were to visit this park more often, or include a few of the others in the Oregon system that require payment, making for over 6 visits, the $ 30 annual pass should be considered.
I never knew where Silver Falls State Park was located. I knew it was south and east of Portland. I didn’t know it was THAT close to Salem, our «happening» state capital. I also didn’t know there was a whole series of falls. I always thought that the classic view you see in postcards or brochures were the Silver Falls. Wrong. Those turned out to be the South Falls, and apparently the most viewed of the various falls in the park. While it’s all good, what is especially cool about the South Falls is that there is a trail hewn into their rock face and which allow one to walk behind the falls, hemmed in by a split rail type fence that gives the impression of a balcony.
Though reached from a different parking lot, the North Falls are fairly large and also impressive. Viewing them isn’t as easy or maybe I didn’t go where I should have. There is also a series of trails, such as the Trail of Ten Falls, that lead to a series of different falls. One needs to make time for this trail as I don’t think it’s a spur of the moment decision for someone who ends up here for the first time and in casual clothing they’d wear to IHOP.
Note that Silver Falls State Park appears to have areas in the river that are sort of cordoned off for swimming. In Oregon, even in summer, the water temperature is not that conducive to swimming. That’s what Florida is for. However, I’d bet this place is stunning in fall colors on a cool autumn day.
Lastly, the approach is interesting. A spur off OR-​22 as it heads east from Salem will take you there. The ascent is gradual, the hills are pastoral, and then the curves and grades begin, effectively forming the bowl in which this river valley and all its waterfalls are contained. A person can only think to themselves, «I can’t believe this place is this close to Salem.»
Wait. Someone gave this place 1 or 2 stars? Really? I could only see doing that if you had your car clouted AND were attacked by a bear and lived to tell about it. Life events like arbitrarily ending up in Yosemite National Park in early November with my parents when I was a teen and seeing Yosemite Valley in fall colors, with snow way up above the valley floor, and a very comfortable cool and overcast 55 degrees F in which to explore, get 5 stars. However, Silver Falls State Park is impressive and easily worthy of 4 stars. It showcases quintessential Cascadian beauty.

A beautiful Tuesday morning in mid July, passing through on our way to Portland from Linciln City. We took this little «must see» side route, recommended by a local café owner we met in Portland just a few days prior… so glad we did!
We took the one mile South Falls loop trail, and it was a bit challenging in spots, as we ventured out in a counter clockwise direction. We thought a mile would be a piece of cake, but it was rather steep, both coming and going. Either way, it’s uphill coming back… we’re glad we took this route, as there are hand rails which are very useful when climbing up.
The grounds were beautiful, but was disappointed by the amount of people who often have no regard for others; unfortunately, we were not surprised. So, instead of complaining, we overcompensated, and picked up trash along the route. We really enjoyed the rainforest ambiance of the canopy of trees and interesting birdlife… more visitors should learn the Tread Lightly protocol of hiking, even in a State Park (I know, I’m complaining, sorry).
We could only imagine what it would be like after a good rain, where the falls would be spectacular and abundant… the crowds, well, not so. we will return!