![]() Make a right, and then where you meet the path that leads to the North Falls Trailhead, stay left. (The view may be better if you make a quick scramble up to the highway turnout.) From here, it's a quick walk to a trail junction to which you'll return. From here, you can look deep into the canyon at North Falls. Continuing on the Rim Trail, you'll pass a couple of small meadows and, half a mile from the Winter Falls Trailhead, you'll come to the North Falls Viewpoint. The roadside strolling is half over at this point. After you pass the small swamp near the lip of Winter Falls, you'll arrive at the Winter Falls Trailhead at mile 1.1. At mile 0.7, you'll walk on the bike path for a short distance and at 0.9 there's a side trail connecting to the highway. From here, you'll parallel the bike trail and Highway 214. Enter a magnificent cathedral-like old-growth forest of towering Douglas-firs and hemlocks. Cross a road to begin the Rim Trail, which heads in a generally eastward direction. ![]() You'll head through a picnic area and pass Parking Area A, which is closed in winter. Bear right to follow a trail which displays interpretive signs on the history of Silver Falls State Park. Walk past the restrooms and nature store to pass in front of the South Falls Lodge, which has a small cafeteria. Alternatives are to hike clockwise by first visiting South Falls or to begin the hike from the North Falls Trailhead. The description below takes you in a counterclockwise direction, beginning with a hike along the rim of the canyon. ![]() For his efforts, one of the ten falls here bears his name. Drake, a Silverton-area photographer who led a 20-year campaign to designate the area a park. ![]() Before that, it was the life passion of June D. Silver Falls was designated as a "Recreational Demonstration Area" by President Roosevelt in 1934 and developed as a park by the Civilian Conservation Corps, which included the lodge's construction. Visitors also are bound to appreciate South Falls Lodge, which isn't particularly large and doesn't provide accommodations, but features a cafeteria and seating in a rustic space that smells of firewood smoke and stone walls. 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. Unfortunately, while the hike is not very strenuous (most folks will handle the rolling elevation, with about 1,300 feet of total accumulation, in three to five hours.), dogs are not allowed on the Canyon Trail portion of the hike-which is where the waterfalls are found. There are no less than ten falls on this 7.8 mile loop, which can be reduced via two cutoff trails, and most of them are flat-out gorgeous. 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. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |