Bottom Line:
This trail is popular for good reason! Beautiful, unique (four of the ten falls have an amphitheater-like surrounding that allows the trail to pass behind the flow of the falls), a loop with no backtracking, and very little vertical so the miles kind of passed by without us even noticing. A gem. Go!
Stats:
- Distance: 10-1/2 miles
- Duration: 4 hours
- Vertical: 870 ft
- Weather: Partly sunny, ~50F, no wind
- Trail: excellent condition, dry except for UNDER waterfall (and we can live with that for the adventure I think! :))
- Takeaway: Four hours of bliss walking through Silver Creek canyon literally coming across a new waterfall at every turn; the rainforest is beautiful, each waterfall is quite unique and fascinating in its own right, and the mood is one of walking through paradise; the sun is lower on a winter day, but other than that, it would seem impossible for this to be more beautiful on a summer day (especially with the crowds that would come with that)
This hike is in Silver Falls State Park each of Salem, OR. This park is actually on WTA - bonus! Oregon really does have beautiful and well-maintained state parks and this one is no exception. We booked a cabin in the campground to stage for this hike (see video for a peek) - clean and comfortable, although no cooking or bathroom facilities (shared, but free showers).
This is one of a series of close-proximity hikes across Central Oregon tied together into one trip: Steelhead Falls, Tam-a-lau trail reports.
The trailhead access is across the street from the campground and has a huge amount of parking (did I mention this trail is popular)? Now both South and North falls are relatively close to the trailheads (themselves ~2 miles apart, with a trail connecting to complete this loop), so there are lots of folks only trekking as far as the 1st fall from either trailhead. The "Trail of Ten Falls" is a designated National Recreation Trail (you know you are in for a treat, at least off season), and is best done clockwise starting at the South Falls trailhead. That trailhead has a "nature store" (oxymoron?!), and a lodge with a cafe (hot coffee just before heading out was good... the hazy IPA on the backend even better!)
The trail is in great condition, well signed, and each major waterfall is named with a sign. The connector completing the loop from the North to South Falls trailheads is the only section not following a creek, and devoid of waterfalls. Thus the clockwise direction: people traveling counterclockwise started asking us where the waterfalls were, and traveling clockwise we were kind of waterfalled-out (yes, these is such a thing) by the time we had to complete the loop on the relatively boring connector trail.
The real treat is getting to walk behind the falls. We never really got "wet", but it was misty behind the falls, and the cliff walls and caves were quite drippy. Nothing to warrant packing my camera away if that gives you an ideal but significant enough for a bad hair day :)
The attached video gives to a good sense of the falls and the beautiful trail.
Note that Double Falls is the only fall on a slight spur on the trail, near Lower North Falls. This one is smaller but especially beautiful - don't miss it!
Comments
Bob and Barb on Silver Falls State Park
Nice report, photos and video. This is one of our favorite areas. We have camped in the CG several times, but haven't been back in probably 10 years or more! Makes me want to return!
Posted by:
Bob and Barb on Feb 17, 2022 03:34 PM