Located an hour and 15 minutes from from Portland, Silver Falls State Park is the place to go for an all day hike passing by 10 waterfalls. The trail is flat, easy, but still very scenic as it follows alongside the creek most of the time. One of my favorite things about this hike is you can go behind several of the waterfalls, and this area is especially beautiful in the fall time.
Hike Info
Elevation Change: 1,000 ft
Trail Type: Loop
Miles: 7.2
Trailhead: Google Maps
Don't forget to:
- Bring exact cash in case you need to park in a fee parking lot
- Bring rain gear, especially for hiking behind waterfalls
- Wear waterproof, grippy shoes
- Go on a rainy weekday for less crowds
Getting There
You can start at either the South Falls or North Falls parking lot. When coming from Portland, I hit the North Falls parking lot first, and parking here requires a Northwest Forest Pass or 5$ in cash (exact change).
The Hike
When you head down the stairs towards the falls, you'll reach a junction to either start hiking clockwise on the Rim trail or counter-clockwise on the Canyon Trail. I was eager to see North Falls first, so I headed north on the Canyon Trail.
Heading up to North Falls
A perfect cave complete with benches to enjoy the view
North falls perfectly framed by the fall colors
After passing behind and around the falls, a mile down the trail is Twin falls.
Twin Falls (31 ft)
Trailside Cascades
Another 0.4 miles later, you hit Middle North Falls, my favorite waterfall in the park. There's a side trail that heads behind the waterfall, and it's one of the widest waterfalls in the park.
Middle North Falls (106 ft) from a distance
Side trail behind Middle North Falls
My favorite waterfall in the park!
Just downstream is Drake Falls, and then the side trail to Double Falls is on the right. Although several of the waterfalls in the park can only be seen from a distance or from a viewing platform, you do get to walk behind 4 of the larger falls in the park.
Drake Falls (27 ft)
Walking up to Double falls (178 ft)
In between falls, the area is still lush and colorful. Even when it started raining, the foggy mist added to the Pacific Northwest vibe, and it worked out since I only saw a handful of people on the trail.
Leaf-covered trail that follows the creek
Foggy mist rolling in later in the afternoon
You can also drive along the 214 and get to several waterfall viewpoints and trailheads that access the loop instead of hiking the whole thing: South Falls TH, Winter Falls TH, and North Falls TH.
Viewing North Falls from the viewpoint by the freeway
Other useful sites:
Oregon Hikers
Alltrails
Oregon.com
Oregon State Parks
