“The world is before us, and we are still on our way. The Oregon Trail is an adventure that must be lived, not just dreamed.”
-Anonymous Pioneer
So I didn’t really hike any part of the official “Oregon trail”, but a trail that’s in Oregon counts just the same right? On a portion of our road trip we were visiting family there (one of whom is an avid hiker), and one day we visited Silver Falls State Park.
South Falls and Maple Ridge Loop
Location: Silver Falls State Park, Oregon
Length: 2.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 403 feet, steps and steep slopes, especially the last mile!
Pros: waterfalls and cascading streams, parking, restrooms, gift shop and cafe, well-maintained and marked trails
Cons: need to pay for parking, puddles can cover trail after a rain
Up in the mountains, east of Salem, is Silver Falls State Park. The South Falls Trail takes you along a rocky canyon, behind a waterfall, and to a winding creek at the forest floor. There are about 35 miles of trails in the park, with many options for length and difficulty.
The park was chillier than we had anticipated, so Barry and I bought souvenir sweatshirts at the gift shop, and we all bought coffees to take along the trail. I can’t think of anything more “northwest” than bringing a latte on a hike! 😂 It had rained overnight, and parts of our route were muddy and covered with shallow puddles, but the trails are well-maintained so they were pretty easy to navigate. The trail goes behind the waterfall, which was pretty cool, and we hiked through moss-laden forests and beside cascading streams. The full trail goes well over 5 miles – a little much for us – so we skipped a few of the falls and connected to a shorter path that led us back to the parking lot. It was shorter… but it was tough! A mile long, and completely uphill. Fortunately they have many benches along the trail to sit and catch your breath. At one of these, we met a little chipmunk. Then a few more showed up, then a few more… Pretty soon we were surrounded by at least a dozen adorable little beasties. They scampered away when they finally realized we didn’t have any food for them.
It was a perfect misty Northwest kind of day, and I’m grateful for the memories made with my family. Next up in my cross-country hiking tour is California. We’ll see what I find there!
Til next time, shine bright friends!
~Dawn 🌻
