Silver Falls State Park in Central Oregon

Ten Waterfalls, Hiking Trails, Mossy Caverns, and Good Camping

Feb 16, 2009 Betsy Husband

Oregon's largest state park has over 9,000 acres of forest and meadows, and a canyon full of waterfalls. A moderate hike of less than 7 miles leads to ten of them.

Avid campers with access to Oregon are a lucky bunch, as there are more than 50 parks with campgrounds in Oregon's well known state park system. Located in Central Oregon, Silver Falls State Park is the largest.

Ten Waterfalls

· Upper North Falls—65 feet. An easy, pleasant walk from the day use area.

· North Falls—93 feet. A spectacular sight.

· South Falls—177 feet. Very popular and pretty throughout the entire year.

· Lower South Falls—93 feet. A long way down--many steps to see it.

· Winter Falls—134 feet. Just a few steps down from the day use area.

· Drake Falls—27 feet. This is the smallest and not seen from the trail.

· Double Falls—178 feet. The largest waterfall at the park.

· Lower North Falls—30 feet. Very pretty and easy to get to.

· Twin Falls—31 feet. This is a beautiful trail with lots to see.

· Middle North Falls—106 feet. a combination drop and cascade.

The Trail of Ten Falls is a moderately difficult hike of 6.9 miles that follows a full loop to see all ten waterfalls. A recommended shortcut, trimming the hike to 5.1 miles, omits North and Twin Falls. The park is open all year, and the falls are still full, and wildflowers beautiful from March through May.

Silver Falls Lodge

This is a beautiful high-ceilinged rustic lodge built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937 and designed by J. Elwood Isted, the same man who designed Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. The style is termed Adirondack Rustic. The lodge was recently restored and has interpretive displays of the park’s history.

Facilities

Campsites are available for RVs, with electric and water hookups. There are designated campsites for tents, and cabins available to rent for as little as $35 a night. Howard Creek Horse Camp has facilities for horse camping, with drive-up or ride-up facilities, and the Ranches offer a great solution for family get-togethers, where 25 people can stay at a group rate of $100 a night. Silver Falls also has a conference center operated by a private concessionaire. The conference center has group lodges, cabins, meeting halls and a dining hall available for business meetings and training seminars.

Location

Silver Falls State Park is 24 miles east of Salem, the capital of Oregon in the heart of the Willamette Valley, a region known for its luscious wines. Oregon’s wine country is a popular tourist destination offering more than 200 wineries and tasting rooms.

Camping, wine tasting, hiking…life doesn’t get much better. Enjoy the waterfalls and wines of Central Oregon. Unwind at Silver Falls State Park, treasure of Oregon's State Park system.

The copyright of the article Silver Falls State Park in Central Oregon in NW U.S./Alaska Travel is owned by Betsy Husband. Permission to republish Silver Falls State Park in Central Oregon in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

South Falls	North Falls	Silver Falls State Park
Tent Camping

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Comments

Feb 18, 2009 3:33 PM

Aurae Beidler :

Just thought I would mention that Silver Creek Falls is actually located in Western Oregon. I've never heard anyone call it Central Oregon. We consider Central Oregon to be the Bend area. Great photos!

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