Silver Falls State Park

The Trail of Ten Falls runs about eleven and a half kilometres through a canyon cut into Columbia River basalt, and the walk-behind falls are the reason it is unusual: the lava flows here have a hard upper layer over a softer weathered zone beneath, so the streams have hollowed out alcoves behind the curtain of water at four of the falls, and the trail goes through them. South Falls, about fifty-four metres, is the most visited; remote Double Falls is a metre higher. A National Park Service inspector rejected the area for park status in 1926 because of the stumps left by logging; in 1935 President Roosevelt made it a Recreational Demonstration Area, the logged land was bought, Civilian Conservation Corps crews built much of the trail and the South Falls Lodge, and the forest has recovered since.

Highlights

• Ten waterfalls on one loop - about eleven and a half kilometres.
• Four you walk behind - through alcoves under the basalt cap.
• South Falls at about fifty-four metres - the most visited.
• A national park rejected in the 1920s - the land was too damaged then.

When to go

March to June for flow; October to November for colour. A full day.

Practical notes

The full loop is thirteen kilometres with substantial climbing. Trails behind the falls are wet, slippery and cold with spray. Winter storms close sections. Summer weekends fill the lots by mid-morning.

Nearby

Silverton is west; the Willamette Valley wineries are north.

Key facts