Silver Falls State Park is the crown jewel of the Oregon State Parks system, being both Oregon's largest State Park (9,000 acres) and boasting one of America's most impressive waterfall day-hikes. There are no less than ten falls on this 8.7-mile loop (which can be reduced via two cutoff trails), and most of them are flat-out gorgeous. Most folks will handle the rolling elevation, with about 1,300 feet of total accumulation, in three to five hours. Unless it's a foul-weather day in the middle of a week in winter, count on seeing plenty of other visitors on the trail.

Activity Notes

The provisional leader for this hike will be Colleen Rawson. This is a moderate hike in Silver Falls State Park on Veterans Day. We plan to hike at a leisurely pace (averaging around 1.5-2 mph) with generous time to admire each of the waterfalls. Join us for this beautiful autumnal hike in one of Oregon's most classic state parks! 

The hike is planned for rain or shine. As of Friday, November 3, the weather appears to be chilly and overcast. I recommend packing at least 1 L of water, lunch/snacks, the ten essentials, and rain gear (e.g., rain cover for backpack, raincoat). 

We plan to gather at the trailhead at 9:30 am and hit the trail by 10 am. If possible, we are planning to carpool from two locations: the MMC in SE Portland (Colleen will be there until 8 am) and the Target parking lot off NW 185th (Leora will be there until 7:45 am). The day-use parking permit for Silver Falls is $5 per car. While each payment machine operates differently, none will give change. Northwest Forest Passes, National Park and America the Beautiful permits are not valid permits for State Parks. 

Other Information
Driving Distance from Portland 55 miles
Driving Time from Portland 1 hours
Distance - Round Trip 8 miles
Expected Duration Car to car in one day
Interesting Features Waterfalls
Awards Qualified Waterfall Award
FIND AN UPCOMING ACTIVITY ON THE Calendar