{"id":38855,"date":"2026-06-05T05:08:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T12:08:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?p=38855"},"modified":"2026-06-05T05:08:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T12:08:45","slug":"silver-falls-st-park-worth-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?p=38855","title":{"rendered":"Silver Falls St Park, worth it?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On the way to Portland to visit friends, I stopped over at Silver Falls State Park for a quick trip through the 10 Waterfalls<\/a>. My car was the first in North Falls TH parking lot and that early start gave me about 3 hours of solitude. By 10:00-10:30, the parking lot was full and humans crowded the trails. But hiking Silver Falls is not about wilderness nor wildlife, but all about the waterfalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if trails away from the waterfalls look like this (magical) … they were just corridors to the waterfalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To remind one how silly humans can be, there are signs like this in several places, – obviously humans have tried to go where they really shouldn’t – seriously life-threatening if ‘fall’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A few wildflowers remained trailside, but they were past prime and again nothing compared to the promises from waterfalls’ roar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I counted three waterfalls with paths walking BEHIND the falls. Looking out is completely different<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These are the many of the waterfalls a hiker walks past on the way to South Falls (click to open photos)<\/em> – I’m not sure the one on top left even has name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After passing all of those waterfalls, the South Falls – probably the most viewed and awed of all in the Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Is Silver Falls State Park worth the time \/ drive required to get there? The first time, absolutely, but, try to get your hiking done before 10:00 – when the crowds arrive. North Falls TH does not have a gate but requires State Park pass. … From there, South Falls is the furthest away, but a rational 3-4 hour hike round trip. Would I go back consistently year-after-year? No. Too many people, not enough wildlife, and waterfalls in OR are easy to find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Route<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Started at North Falls TH and headed on the North Rim Trail as Canyon Trail is closed from TH to Twin Falls Tr intersection; ended up at South Falls, and circled up the canyon rim to the ‘lodge’. From there, back to North Falls on same route. While grabbing snack in TH I decided that the “Backcountry Trails” were not why I came to Silver Falls, so I went back around the falls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gear Box<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For camera lens on this trip, I left my larger lens and took the 12-45mm<\/a>. Given that most of Silver Falls is down a deep forested river gorge, vistas, views and distances would be minimal. All photos were ‘closer’ and the shorter lens was perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data Geek Cellar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n