Pictured above: South Falls
Another weekend came and gone, with my wanderlusting putting in double time to go see not only a waterfall, but a waterfall that you can actually walk behind! This weekend we decided to discover Silver Falls State Park and what it had to offer.
Screenshots of the park from the internet
Silver Falls State Park is supposed to be the largest state park in the state of Oregon. What is unique about Silver Falls State Park is that there are 10 different waterfalls, with four of them that you can actually walk behind. In order to see all 10 waterfalls I believe it is an 8 Mile Loop. I knew I would not be able to conquer 8 Miles, so I stuck to a 3-mile loop to see both the South Falls and the Lower South Falls. Even the short 3 miles was difficult, part of it being on a 600-foot incline in order to get out of the waterfall area and back to the parking lot.
We went on Memorial Day, so of course the park was at capacity. We had to park in Lot F, which actually ended up being more convenient in order to travel on the trailhead, instead of going to the picnic and swimming area. When we approached the Overlook of the falls before walking behind them, we got quite a sight. As you look over the pictures, notice the teeny tiny people in the background that are walking behind the waterfall. It gives you a better idea of how big this waterfall really was in real life. It is hard to judge when it comes to pictures.
We probably chose the worst day to come to the park, and it was like standing in line at Disney World. We followed the line and took our turn to walk behind the first waterfall, South Falls.
You could feel the wind from the power of the waterfall hitting your face, instantly cooling you down. You could also hear bats living within the caves behind the waterfall. I was unable to get a good picture of it in order to show what it really looked like in person.
Next we started the truck down to the Lower South Falls. Along the way we stopped to play in the river and look back over our shoulder at The Falls that we had just left.
Heading towards the Lower South Falls, you need to be prepared to take on several flights of stairs. The flights of stairs also are uneven at times so you please be careful. After traversing very carefully down into the canyon, we were able to get some amazing pictures of the Lower South Falls. This is another one that you are able to walk behind.
Along the way back, we stopped to hang out with a very talkative chipmunk.
This is just a small glimpse into the Silver Falls State Park. Make sure to put it on your bucket list to check out yourself, and even trying to conquer some of the other waterfalls in the area.