SILVER FALLS STATE PARK, OR :: We had originally planned to camp at Mt. Rainier this weekend, but as I checked the weather forecast and web camera every thirty minutes from work on Friday, the chance of actually seeing the mountain and staying dry on Saturday grew slim. Plan B was hastily put together: we would drive south into Oregon and spend a couple nights in Salem to explore Silver Falls State Park, the Willamette Valley, and the coast.
The park is about 30 miles outside of Salem in Silverton, a rural town surrounded by 47,000 acres of Christmas tree farms. Driving through the miniature forests was a neat experience. Silverton also hosts an original Frank Lloyd Wright house, but unfortunately we didn’t have time to visit it.
We arrived at Silver Falls early in the morning and were one of the first cars in the large parking lot. Our plan was to hike the Trail of Ten Falls, but part of it was closed for maintenance. In addition, two of the falls could be seen from viewpoints along the road. No need to walk when you can drive! So we shortened our hike to a five-mile loop that passed by five of the waterfalls. The most impressive is South Falls, dropping nearly 200′ over a cantilevered layer of mossy rock. The trail circles behind the falls, providing a spectacular (and wet) vantage point!
The park is about 30 miles outside of Salem in Silverton, a rural town surrounded by 47,000 acres of Christmas tree farms. Driving through the miniature forests was a neat experience. Silverton also hosts an original Frank Lloyd Wright house, but unfortunately we didn’t have time to visit it.
We arrived at Silver Falls early in the morning and were one of the first cars in the large parking lot. Our plan was to hike the Trail of Ten Falls, but part of it was closed for maintenance. In addition, two of the falls could be seen from viewpoints along the road. No need to walk when you can drive! So we shortened our hike to a five-mile loop that passed by five of the waterfalls. The most impressive is South Falls, dropping nearly 200′ over a cantilevered layer of mossy rock. The trail circles behind the falls, providing a spectacular (and wet) vantage point!
