7 Incredible Waterfall Hikes at Silver Falls State Park
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Even in the Pacific Northwest, the waterfalls of Silver Falls State Park stand out. In less than 8 miles, you can visit ten of them and walk behind four on the Trail of Ten Falls. Although beautiful and rewarding, this hike can also be a commitment. If you’re looking for a shorter, flatter, stroller-friendly, or dog-friendly hike, Silver Falls State Park has it. With waterfall hikes starting less than a mile long, choosing your intensity is easy. Since the park is only a little over an hour away from my home in Portland, I’ve been hiking there many times. Here are my favorite trails and everything you need to know about hiking in Silver Falls State Park.
North Fork Silver Creek
Know before you go
Parking at Silver Falls State Park requires the Oregon State Park Pass ($5/day or $30/year). You can buy a pass at the pay stations at the North Falls Day-use Area, North Falls Trailhead parking lot, or South Falls Day-use Area.
Dogs are allowed in Silver Falls State Park but cannot be on some of the hiking trails. Hikes #3 and #5 on this list are dog-friendly. The South Falls Day-use Area has an off-leash area for dogs.
Look for indoor restrooms at the North Falls and South Falls Day-use Areas. The North Falls Trailhead parking lot also has a couple of vault toilets.
The South Falls Day-use Area has the most amenities, including a picnic area, cafe, and gift shop.
Although beautiful in any season, the waterfalls in Silver Falls State Park are the most powerful and impressive in spring. Look for fall colors in October and early November. Wildflowers bloom in the park in spring and summer.
Silver Falls State Park is generous with signage, but it is still helpful to have an offline map. Look for paper maps at the South Falls Day-use Area, or find a digital trail map here.
Middle North Falls at the end of January
Best hikes in Silver Falls State Park
1. South Falls Loop: Best short hike
A short loop trail passes behind South Falls
Number of waterfalls: 1
Distance: 1-mile loop
Elevation gain: 300 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Dog friendly: No, dogs are not allowed on the Canyon Trail.
ADA access: No
Basic directions:
Start at the South Falls Day-use Area.
Take the Canyon Trail behind South Falls.
At the first trail junction, take a right and cross the footbridge. This trail will bring you back to the South Falls Day-use Area.
A last view of South Falls from the footbridge
The short loop trail around South Falls is the perfect destination when you want a hike with world-class views but not a lot of distance. The highlight is seeing the 177-foot South Falls, which you can admire from every angle, starting from above. From the parking lot, walk past the rustic lodge and gift shop, both housed in log cabins. Take a minute at the top of South Falls to watch water spill over the lip of volcanic rock just before its plunge.
From here, descend on the Canyon Trail to walk behind South Falls. Lava flows millions of years ago formed the unusual cliff behind the waterfall. Between thick layers of basalt, you can see a thin layer of sedimentary rock. This layer erodes more easily than the surrounding rock, creating a natural recess behind the falls for the hiking trail. Even if, like many of my friends, your eyes glaze over when I talk about geology, gazing at a surging waterfall from a cavernous hollowed-out cliffside is thrilling. After passing behind the falls, you’ll cross a footbridge that provides a last, excellent view of it from straight on. Then, head back up the hill and have an ice cream cone on the South Falls Lodge patio.
2. Maple Ridge Loop: Best short-ish hike when you get carried away
Stairs descend to Lower South Falls
Number of waterfalls: 2
Distance: 2.6-mile loop
Elevation gain: 400 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Dog friendly: No, dogs are not allowed on the Canyon Trail or Maple Ridge Trail.
ADA access: No
Basic directions:
Start at the South Falls Day-use Area and take the Canyon Trail behind South Falls.
At the first trail junction, keep left to head toward Lower South Falls.
When you reach the next trail junction, keep right to head back to the South Falls Lodge on the Maple Ridge Trail.
Lower South Falls
Even if you plan on stopping at the South Falls Loop, the grandeur of the falls could easily tempt you into going farther. For a slightly longer trek, continue past the footbridge beneath South Falls and head to Lower South Falls. After descending a few switchbacks with stairs, you’ll pass behind this second spectacular waterfall.
Unlike South Falls, the trail behind Lower South Falls feels hidden and intimate. As you pass behind the roaring curtain of water, you’ll be close enough to lean over and touch it. Not that there’s a need. Mist from the falls creates a fine spray that will leave you with wet hair by the time you reach the other side. After Lower South Falls, look for the junction with the Maple Ridge Trail, marked with a sign. This trail will take you back to the South Falls Lodge.
3. North Rim Trail: Best hike with little kids
Nature Play Area
Number of waterfalls: 1
Distance: 1 mile out and back
Elevation gain: Minimal
Difficulty: Easy
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome on the trail.
ADA access: The North Rim Trail is wide and even. It does not have barriers like steps or large tree roots. It is unpaved and does have areas with uphill grades of less than 5%. Accessible parking and restrooms.
Basic directions:
Start at the North Falls Day-use Area.
Follow signs for the North Rim Trail. From the trailhead, head left.
Continue on the North Rim Trail until you reach the North Falls Viewpoint, then return the way you came.
North Falls
The North Rim Trail is the newest and most inclusive trail in Silver Falls State Park. Since it doesn’t descend into the canyon, the trail is gentle and flat throughout its 0.5-mile length. Hiking here would be no problem with a stroller and would be doable with many types of wheelchairs. It’s also one of the few dog-friendly hikes in Silver Falls State Park that ends with a waterfall view.
The trail explores the woods on the north side of the canyon. Shortly after starting, you’ll pass the Nature Play Area, where creative equipment made from natural material blends in with the surrounding forest. An optional 0.25-mile loop around the play area meanders through different stations where small hikers can climb like a bear and growl like a cougar. If you continue down the trail, you’ll reach the hike’s impressive finale, a fenced viewpoint overlooking magnificent 136-foot North Falls.
4. North Rim Loop: Best new hike
A trail passes behind North Falls
Number of waterfalls: 3
Distance: 2.8-mile loop with a spur
Elevation gain: 300 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Dog friendly: No, dogs are not allowed on the Canyon Trail. They can go as far as Upper North Falls.
ADA access: No, not after the North Falls Viewpoint.
Basic directions:
Start at the North Falls Day-use Area and take the North Rim Trail to the North Falls Viewpoint. Continue past the viewpoint.
When you reach the North Falls Trailhead parking lot, cross the footbridge, then head left for an optional spur to Upper North Falls.
Return down the spur trail and keep left at the trail junction (look for a trail map here). Then, keep right to take the Canyon Trail behind North Falls.
Follow the Canyon Trail until the junction with the Twin Falls Trail. Take a right to head back to the parking lot on the Twin Falls Trail.
North Falls
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see this hike on the trail maps yet. As of winter 2024, most haven’t been updated to include the North Rim Trail. I promise it’s there and worth visiting. Instead of turning around at the North Falls Viewpoint as described above, you can make a loop with a short spur to see North Falls up close, plus visit Upper North Falls and Twin Falls. Note that there are a few stairs just past the North Falls Viewpoint, making it the end of the stroller-friendly and accessible portion of the trail.
After the North Falls Viewpoint, continue through the woods until you reach the North Falls Trailhead. Cross the parking lot and take the footbridge across the creek. Head left to make a 0.6-mile spur to ethereal Upper North Falls. After returning on the spur, take the Canyon Trail to pass behind North Falls as it makes its graceful single plunge onto fallen boulders. After North Falls, you’ll continue along the creek until you reach a somewhat awkward viewpoint for Twin Falls. It’s not quite at the right angle and requires imagination to get a sense of the falls. Complete the loop by taking the Twin Falls Trail to the North Falls Day-use Area.
5. Rim Trail to Upper North Falls: Best hike with a dog
Rim Trail
Number of waterfalls: 1 (plus a distant view of North Falls and an overhead view of Winter Falls)
Distance: 5.3 miles out and back
Elevation gain: 100 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome on the trail.
ADA access: No
Basic directions:
Start at the South Falls Day-use Area and take the Rim Trail.
At the end of the Rim Trail, cross under the road to continue to Upper North Falls. Return the way you came.
Upper North Falls
Silver Falls State Park has one dog-friendly waterfall, Upper North Falls. A short hike begins at the North Falls Trailhead and makes an easy, 0.6-mile out-and-back trek to the lovely 65-foot waterfall. On a hot summer day, you and your dog can wade in Silver Creek’s north fork. As a bonus, this waterfall isn’t connected to any loop hikes, so it tends to be less crowded than the others in the park.
For more distance, start at the South Falls Day-use Area and take the Rim Trail to Upper North Falls. This gentle trail winds a pleasant course through a dense forest of sword ferns and mossy trees. It’s a great place to see new trees growing on massive nurse stumps. Although Upper North Falls is the only waterfall you can approach on the hike, you’ll see Winter Falls from above and a distant North Falls through the trees. After you return to the South Falls Day-use Area, check out the off-leash dog park (unfenced). Then perhaps a cold drink at an outside picnic table. Look for a partial view of South Falls from above before heading out.
6. South Loop: Best waterfall density
Lower South Falls
Number of waterfalls: 7
Distance: 5-mile loop
Elevation gain: 700 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Dog friendly: No, dogs are not allowed on the Canyon Trail.
ADA access: No
Basic directions:
Start at the South Falls Day-use Area and take the Canyon Trail.
Follow the Canyon Trail until the junction with the Winter Falls Trail (about 2 miles).
Turn right onto the Winter Falls Trail and continue for 0.5 miles.
Take a right onto the Rim Trail and follow it to the South Falls Lodge.
Double Falls
First, a not-so-fun fact about me. After an incomplete recovery from a bike accident years ago, I can’t walk more than about 5 miles on a good day. I was lucky enough to hike the Trail of Ten Falls before the accident, but I can no longer do the whole thing in one visit. Fortunately, the Winter Falls Trail bisects the Trail of Ten Falls, creating options for shorter loop hikes. If you stick to the south side, you can still see most of the park’s waterfalls without as much distance. This loop is now my favorite hike in Silver Falls State Park.
The hike begins with the awe-inspiring walk behind South Falls, then the tunnel-like passage behind Lower South Falls. Another mile on the Canyon Trail will bring you to Lower North Falls, the first of five waterfalls packed in less than a mile of distance. Middle North Falls stands out among these for being a waterfall you can walk behind. The hike ends on the Rim Trail, which feels like a relaxing stroll through the forest after the uphill march from the base of the canyon.
7. Trail of Ten Falls: Best hike to see it all
South Falls
Number of waterfalls: 10
Distance: 7.5-mile loop with a spur
Elevation gain: 1200 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Dog friendly: No, dogs are not allowed on the Canyon Trail.
ADA access: No
Basic directions:
Start at the South Falls Day-use Area and take the Canyon Trail.
Follow the Canyon Trail to the North Falls Trailhead parking lot, cross the bridge, and take a left toward Upper North Falls.
Return down the spur for Upper North Falls and keep left to take the Rim Trail. The Rim Trail will bring you back to South Falls.
Drake Falls
So now we come it, the epic and wonderful Trail of Ten Falls. This famous trail combines the highlights of the previous hikes into one super-mega-waterfall hike. You’ll see ten named waterfalls in less than eight miles, four of which you’ll walk behind. Like all the waterfall hikes in Silver Falls State Park, the Trail of Ten Falls is most impressive in spring when rain and snowmelt send large quantities of water over the falls and down into the canyon. You’ll even see a few seasonal waterfalls in wetter months. The smaller waterfalls, like Winter Falls and Double Falls, slow to a trickle in summer, although sunshine and abundant greenery are fair compensation.
Beyond the waterfalls, the Trail of Ten Falls takes you along cascading creeks and through an old-growth forest filled with moss-covered bigleaf maples, Western hemlock, and Doug firs. You’ll cross picturesque footbridges and walk next to basalt cliffs where maidenhair ferns cling to bare rock. On a quiet day, you might spot a blue heron wading in the creek. In short, expect everything scenic and lovely on one of Oregon’s best-loved trails.
Upper North Falls
What to bring to Silver Falls State Park
The trails in Silver Falls State are well-maintained, but you’ll be more comfortable in waterproof hiking boots than sneakers. My Timberland hiking boots have worked out great during my many visits there. There is a similar pair for men.
Waterproof day pack for your camera, water, and trail snacks.
Oregon State Park Pass (or buy one when you get there).
Getting there
To reach Silver Falls State Park from Portland, head to Silverton, then take OR-214 S. Follow OR-214 S until you reach the park. The drive from Portland takes about 75 minutes.
You’ll first pass the unmarked road that leads to the North Falls Day-use Area. Park here for hikes #3 and #4.
If you continue a short distance on OR-241 S, you’ll see the parking lot for the North Falls Trailhead next to the road. Park here to hike to Upper North Falls, the shorter version of hike #5.
After the North Falls Trailhead parking lot, you’ll pass a roadside viewpoint for North Falls and the Winter Falls Trailhead. You can start hikes #6 and #7 from these but know that parking is limited and there are no amenities.
About a mile down the road, you’ll reach the large parking lot for the South Falls Day-use Area. Park here for hikes #1, 2, 5, 6, and 7.
Enjoy your day at Silver Falls State Park!
With love,
Emma
Explore nearby
Find tips for visiting Silver Falls State Park in the winter.
See the extraordinary waterfalls of McDowell Creek Falls County Park.
