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

  • HIKE LEADER: David Rempel, ph.# 928 587-0511; email: crempel2@yahoo.com; 
  • START: 7:00 a.m. Clackamas Towne Center Transit Center P&R
  • TRAIL HEAD: 8:15 a.m. Silver Falls South Parking Lot
  • PHOTO OPS: Silver Falls State Park is known as the Crown Jewel of Oregon State Parks, with it's magnificent cluster of large falls. While we do not want to bog-down the pace too much, there will be some extra time allowed for photos. 
  • WEATHER: Watch the forecast going into the hike to know what to expect and how to dress. Snow, ice, rain, etc. are all common this time of year. Assume trekking poles, yaktrax/microspikes, and rain gear. 
  • REQUIRED PASS/FEES: Drivers will need an Oregon State Parks parking pass--available onsite. 
  • HIKE SIGN-UP: Must be completed on the Mazamas website prior to hike (i.e., no paper sign-ups day of hike). 
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
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