Trail of Ten Falls
It was a short drive from Eugene to Silver Falls that took a while on the slow and winding roads. Several years ago, we had a day trip to Silver Falls while staying in Portland and knew we would return someday. This time we found a campground reservation for three nights and were pleasantly surprised at the amount of space nestled in the trees that our be ours for a few days.
The Trail of 10 Falls connects the waterfalls and consists of Canyon Trail and Rim Trail, for a 7.2 mile loop with a 1000 foot elevation variation. The decent into the canyon begins within the canopy of Douglas Firs, down to the undergrowth of ferns into the canyon and winding creek.
South Falls 177 feet
There are four water falls to walk behind.
North Falls
The park offers more than 35 miles of backcountry trails for mountain biking, hiking or horseback riding. Bears and cougars live in the more remote park areas.
Winter Falls
We managed to log 8 miles on our hiking boots our first full day out. Whether we were walking along the creek or in the forest, it was quite enjoyable and kept us moving along. The next day turned into 5 miles and our feet were starting to complain a little. OK, more than a little.
Winter Falls 134 Feet
Drake Falls
You can see the small first fall of Double Falls high and to the right.
Wild flowers
Love the moss on the rocks.
The Great Depression struck in 1929, and timber, Oregon’s most important industry, tanked. The whole state, and Silver Falls along with it, was devastated. One program, the Civilian Conservation Corps, put young unemployed men to work constructing buildings, trails, bridges, retaining walls, and other park infrastructure - most of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. Most of the buildings are still standing and in use. They even had WIFI at the Lodge Café just a mile walk from our campsite.
South Falls from the bridge
Lower South Falls
The peaceful sound of Silver Falls was a treat. Every morning just before sunrise, which is quite early this time of year, the birds would sing and chatter for a half hour. There was plenty of time to read while sitting under the trees without TV or internet at our campsite to distract us. A campfire in the evenings was a good end to a darn good day.
Heading to Wine Country in McMinnville, OR.
