Silver Falls State Park is one of Oregon’s most popular state parks, drawing over 1 million visitors each year! And rightfully so. Hiking in Silver Falls State Park provides easy access to numerous stunning waterfalls and beautiful lush green forests. Plus several waterfalls may be walked behind, offering a unique opportunity to peek behind the curtain and experience the sheer power of the waterfalls up close. In this article, we’ll tell you about all the best Silver Falls hiking trails and help you plan an amazing trip!
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Silver Falls State Park
Sometimes referred to as the “crown jewel” of Oregon State Parks, the waterfalls at Silver Falls State Park certainly live up to the name. What makes hiking in Silver Falls State Park so great is the high concentration of amazing waterfalls in close proximity to each other.
There are several short trails in the park that provide easy access to the waterfalls. These trails may be combined together for those looking for a longer hike.
Perhaps the most famous of the falls is South Falls, a 177-foot tall waterfall with a trail that leads along the ridge behind the tumbling curtain of water!
The top crust of the ground below South Falls is made out of harder volcanic rock that holds up to the powerful surges of water. The amphitheater-like caverns behind the falls were created by the rushing water gouging out weaker lower levels of the earth.
This geological phenomenon is the reason that you can walk behind several of the waterfalls in Oregon’s Silver Falls State Park.
Other oregon Resources
Looking for more to do in Oregon?! You may also be interested in these resources to help you plan your visit!
History of Silver Falls State Park
The area of Oregon that now makes up Silver Falls State Park was initially developed as a logging center in the late 1800’s. In the early 1900’s a photographer named June Drake popularized the area with his beautiful photographs and pushed to have the area protected as a national park. However, his request was rejected because logging had already begun to take a toll on the area’s natural beauty.
Nonetheless, in 1935, Franklin Roosevelt purchased the land and designated it a Recreational Demonstration Area. During the great depression, he employed a Civilian Conservation Corps, who began work developing the park facilities.
Today, signs that the area was once used for logging are barely visible. On the surface, the thriving green forests look untouched. But take another look and you’ll find young trees growing out of massive stumps, a clear but subtle reminder of the park’s history.
Highlights
- Numerous incredible waterfalls
- Well maintained trails and facilities
- Opportunity to walk behind 4 massive waterfalls
Lowlights
- Ease of access tends to draw crowds
- Hiking options are somewhat limited
How to get to Silver Falls State Park
Silver Falls State Park is conveniently located in northwestern Oregon. It’s easily accessible as a day trip from many of Oregon’s largest cities:
- 30 minutes from Salem
- 1 hour 10 minutes from Portland
- 1 hour 20 minutes from Eugene
- 2 hours 30 minutes from Bend
Entrance fees
Silver Falls State Park charges a $5 day use fee per vehicle, which may be purchased at the park entrance or at pay stations located near most trailheads. Alternatively, the annual Oregon State Parks pass may be purchased online for $30 and includes day-use fees to all Oregon State Parks, including Silver Falls.
If you are camping at Silver Falls State Park, the $5 day use fee is included in your campground reservation. You’ll just need to display your blue hang tag.
Best time to hike in Silver Falls State Park
From November through March, Silver Falls State Park averages 12 to 15 days of rainfall per month, so your odds of having a rainy day are quite high. For the best shot at dry weather, plan your visit from June through September, when the area averages just 2-6 days of rain per month.
Summer (June through September) also brings the warmest temperature with highs in the lower to mid 70s and lows in the upper 40s. During the winter, expect colder but fairly mild temperatures with average highs in the 40s and lows in the 30s.
Where to stay near Silver Falls
For the easiest access to Silver Falls State Park, the best place to stay is Smith Creek Village, located inside the park and right next to the South Falls Trailhead. Small cabins that sleep 2 to 3 run for around $120 to $150 per night. Mid-sized cabins that sleep 4 people run for about $225 per night. Larger cabins that sleep up to 12 people are available for $715 per night.
Aside from Smith Creek Village, there are not many accommodations available just outside the park. The small town of Silverton offers a few accommodations, including the Oregon Garden Resort and the Silverton Inn & Suites, both mid-range hotels with clean, comfortable rooms available for about $150 to $300 per night depending on the season.
Otherwise, your best bet is staying in Salem, Oregon, located about 30 minutes outside the park.
Silver Falls hiking trails
There are many different ways to combine the trails in Silver Falls State Park into longer hikes that fit your desired distance and level of difficulty. If you want to see (almost) all the waterfalls in the park, you can combine the trails into one big loop, aptly named the Trail of Ten Falls.
Below we’ll highlight a few of the best Silver Falls hiking routes of various distances and difficulties, calling out which waterfalls you’ll get to see on each:
- South Falls
- North Falls
- Upper North Falls
- Maple Ridge Loop
- North Falls, Winter Falls & Twin Falls Loop
- Lower North Falls via Canyon Trail
- Silver Falls Canyon Loop
- Trail of Ten Falls
P.S. If you know you want to hike the Trail of Ten Falls, you may want to jump to our detailed trail guide (coming soon).
South Falls
- Distance | 1 mile
- Elevation gain | 190 feet
- Epicness Rating | 7
- Number of waterfalls | 1
Find this hike on AllTrails: South Falls via Canyon Trail
If you have time to see just one waterfall, we’d prioritize South Falls. We found it to be the most impressive of all ten falls we saw in Silver Falls State Park, and it’s easily accessible with a short 1-mile round trip hike. The most exciting part of the hike is that you get to walk along a ledge that leads behind this 177-foot-tall beast of a waterfall.
Walking behind the falls gets you up close, allowing you to really appreciate the sheer force of the cascading water! As such, be prepared to get a little wet – the powerful water hitting rock tends to create a mist.
North Falls
- Distance | 0.6 miles
- Elevation gain | 400 feet
- Difficulty | Easy
- Epic-ness Rating | 6
The North Falls is probably the second most popular waterfall in Silver Falls State Park, just behind South Falls. Once again, you can walk behind North Falls, but what makes this waterfall so unique is that the trail behind it leads through a deep cave rather than just along a narrow ledge.
The cave sits just underneath the flowing water before it drops 136-feet down to the canyon floor.
Upper North Falls
- Distance | 0.6 miles
- Elevation gain | 50 feet
- Difficulty | Easy
- Epic-ness Rating | 4
Find this hike on AllTrails: Upper North Falls
One of the easiest waterfalls to access, Upper North Falls sits about 1 mile from North Falls on the opposite side of Silver Falls Drive. To get there, take a short 0.6 mile round trip hike from the North Falls parking area. Despite the short hike, Upper North Falls is quite impressive, tumbling over 65 feet into a small pool below.
Although you can’t walk behind it, Upper North Falls is one of the only waterfalls with easy access to the water below it. There is a rocky shore area here where you can dip your toes into the water, or wade into the ice cold pool if you dare! If you do take a dip, just use caution not to get to close to the powerful falls.
Maple Ridge Loop
- Distance | 2.6 miles
- Elevation gain | 400 feet
- Difficulty | Easy to moderate
- Epic-ness Rating | 7
- Included Waterfalls | South Falls & Lower South Falls
Find this hike on AllTrails: South Falls and Maple Ridge Loop
South Falls’ next door neighbor, Lower South Falls, requires slightly more effort to reach but it’s definitely worth visiting as well. Lower South Falls is accessed via a 2.6 mile loop that includes South Falls.
This waterfall provides another opportunity to walk right behind the curtain of water created by the falls. The waterfall is interrupted midway down by boulders that jut out into its path, almost creating a double waterfall.
This means a lot of mist around the ledge behind the falls, so once again be prepared to get a little wet!
North Falls, Winter Falls & Twin Falls Loop
- Distance | 3 miles
- Elevation gain | 400 feet
- Difficulty | Easy to moderate
- Epic-ness Rating | 6
- Included Waterfalls | North Falls, Winter Falls & Twin Falls
Find this hike on AllTrails: North Falls, Winter Falls & Twin Falls Loop
From the North Falls Trailhead, it’s only about a quarter-mile hike to the North Falls. We recommend extending the hike and completing this 3-mile loop that also includes Winter Falls and Twin Falls.
Twin Falls, so named for the massive boulder that splits this wide waterfall into two sections, is located about one mile from North Falls. What Twin Falls lacks in height (it’s only 31 feet tall), it makes up for in width!
Winter Falls is one of the narrowest waterfalls in the park, and while it stands at a whopping 136 feet tall, it is, in our opinion, the least impressive. During the drier months, Winter Falls tends to dry to a trickle.
Tip | If you’re going to hike this loop, it’s worth tacking on an extra quarter mile or so to see the Middle North Falls. It’s one of the most impressive falls in Silver Falls State Park!
Lower North Falls via Canyon Trail
- Distance | 3.8 miles
- Elevation gain | 650 feet
- Difficulty | Moderate
- Epic-ness Rating | 7
- Included waterfalls | North Falls, Twin Falls, Middle North Falls, Drake Falls, Double Falls, Lower North Falls
Find this hike on AllTrails: Lower North Falls & Double Falls via Canyon Trail
Reaching 6 waterfalls in just under 4 miles, the Lower North Falls via Canyon Trail offers a lot of bang for your buck and is one of the best hikes in Silver Falls State Park.
After seeing North Falls and Twin Falls, you’ll reach Middle North Falls. To get there, take a short out and back spur trail.
Middle North Falls is one of our favorite waterfalls in Silver Falls State Park, and another particularly stunning waterfall that you can walk behind. The wide curtain of water tumbles 106 feet before fanning out as it hits the layers of rock below.
Next you’ll reach Drake Falls, the shortest waterfall in the park at just 27 feet tall. Drake Falls is more of a gentle incline than a sharp, steep drop like other waterfalls in the park.
Past Drake Falls, you’ll take another short spur trail to see Double Falls, an aptly named set of two waterfalls that join together. At 178 feet high, Double Falls is the tallest in the park, just narrowly beating out South Falls for the title.
And lastly, the short (30 feet) but wide Lower North Falls is the last waterfall on this route. The view is partially obstructed by trees, so you have to walk past the falls to get a good view of it looking down the river.
Silver Falls Canyon Loop
- Distance | 5.4 miles
- Elevation gain | 1000 feet
- Difficulty | Moderate
- Epic-ness Rating | 7
- Included waterfalls | South Falls, Lower South Falls, Middle North Falls, Drake Falls, Double Falls, Lower North Falls, Winter Falls
Find this hike on AllTrails: Silver Falls Canyon Trail
While the Lower North Falls via Canyon Trail discussed just above brings you to 6 waterfalls, our biggest complaint about the hike is that it does not include South Falls. With the moderate 5.4 mile Silver Falls Canyon Loop, you get to see 7 falls, including Silver Falls’ most popular (and most magnificent, in our opinion) waterfall, South Falls.
Trail of Ten Falls
- Distance | 8.7 miles
- Elevation gain | 1500 feet
- Difficulty | Moderate
- Epic-ness Rating | 8
- Number of waterfalls | 10
Find this hike on AllTrails: Trail of Ten Falls
Note: while AllTrails lists the distance as 7.4 feet, we recorded closer to 9 miles. Signage at the trailhead claims the distance is 8.7 miles, so we’re going with that. However, signs at the trailhead also claim the loop includes 500 feet of elevation and we recorded 1500.
If you want to see all the best waterfalls in Silver Falls State Park and you’re up for a full-day adventure, look no further than the Trail of Ten Falls! This 8.7-mile loop takes you to ten of the most beautiful waterfalls in the park, including the South Falls and North Falls.
It’s definitely the best way to get a full tour of Silver Falls State Park. You get to see the park’s most famous waterfalls, while also enjoying some solitude at some of the lesser visited areas. If you have a full day to spend hiking in Silver Falls State Park, we highly recommend the Trail of Ten Falls.
Other Things to do in Silver Falls
There’s so much more to do in Silver Falls than just hiking! Next, we’ll tell you about a few other fun things to do in Silver Falls.
- Do a wine tasting at Silver Falls Vineyards
- Go mountain biking
- Go camping at Silver Falls State Park campground
- Have a picnic or spend the day hanging out by Silver Creek
- Grab a coffee or beer at Silver Falls cafe
1. Do a wine tasting at Silver Falls Vineyards
We stumbled upon Silver Falls Vineyards after a full day of hiking, slightly hesitant to show up in crocs and sweaty hiking clothes. But it turned out to be the best decision, and we didn’t feel the least bit out of place in our post-camping and hiking attire.
Despite its convenient location about 20 minutes from the park, Silver Falls Vineyards has a super quiet, laid-back atmosphere. When we visited at 2pm on a beautiful spring Saturday, there were only 2 other groups of people there.
We sat outside and enjoyed a 6-wine tasting flight surrounded by rolling green hills and budding vineyards. It was the perfect end to a day of hiking in Silver Falls State Park.
If you purchase 3 bottles of wine, you can get two tasting flights waived. And the best part is that, unlike many wineries, their wine bottles are incredibly reasonably priced. We ended up walking away with 2 tasting flights, 2 bottles of Gewurztraminer, 1 bottle of Pinot Gris and 1 bottle of Silver Mist (chardonnay, muscat blend) for $36. It felt like a steal!
2. Go mountain biking
In addition to hiking trails, Silver Falls State Park is also home to 35 miles of backcountry bike trails through the forest. The bike trails can be accessed from the North Falls parking area.
A 4-mile (mostly) paved bike loop also runs parallel to the Rim Trail and can be accessed from the South Falls parking area or the Silver Falls Campground.
Note that bikes are not permitted on the hiking trails we’ve outlined above.
3. Go camping at Silver Falls State Park campground
Silver Falls has a beautiful campground that’s located right across the street from the South Falls Trailhead and Silver Falls Lodge. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy the great outdoors before or after hiking in Silver Falls State Park.
The campground has 48 electrical sites, 43 tent sites, and 14 cabins. Amenities include fire rings, picnic tables, flush toilets and showers.
Weekend nights at Silver Falls campground book up, so be sure to make a reservation in advance. You can make your campsite reservation online at Oregon State Parks.
4. Have a picnic or spend the day hanging out by Silver Creek
The South Falls parking area provides easy access to huge grassy meadows that make for a perfect spot to have a picnic. Pack a big blanket and some snacks and spread out on the lawn. From there you can also easily pop down to see the beautiful South Falls or take off on a longer hike.
This area also provides access to Silver Creek, a popular spot to hang out by the water.
5. Grab a coffee or beer at Silver Falls cafe
Located right at the trailhead for South Falls, the South Falls Cafe in the historic South Falls Lodge serves up coffee and breakfast in the morning, and beer and cheeseburgers in the afternoon! Whether you need your morning cup of joe before hitting the trails, or a cold beer after a long hike, they’ve got you covered.
- The South Falls Cafe is open daily from 10:00am to 6:00pm.
Other Oregon Resources
Looking for more incredible hikes and things to do in Oregon? You may also be interested in these resources:
- The Hobbit Trail in Oregon: Hike to a Secluded Beach
- 21 Amazing Things to Do in Coos Bay, Oregon
- How to See the Spouting Horn in Cook’s Chasm
- Thor’s Well: A Mysterious Ocean Cauldron on the Oregon Coast
- Best Things to do in Sunset Bay State Park
- How to Hike God’s Thumb: the Best Trail on the Oregon Coast
Questions about planning your visit to Silver Falls State Park? Let us know in the comments below!
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