The Trail of 10 Falls in Silver Falls State Park
The Trail of Ten Falls is the star of the show at Silver Falls State Park, and it’s no surprise why. It’s a hiking trail with ten gorgeous waterfalls that you can walk right up to! How many hiking trails can say that?
To add even more magic to this trail, you can walk behind a few of the falls (including some of the tallest in the park), which most waterfall hikes can’t boast.
We certainly think it’s one of the coolest trails in the state, and we hope this post helps you explore it better.
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Table of Contents
The Trail of Ten Falls
Here are the main details for the Trail of 10 Falls.
Distance: 7.4 miles (full loop, you can make it shorter, see below)
Type of trail: Loop
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation Gain: 1,181
Other important info:
- No dogs allowed
- There is a fee for this trail, pay $5 for a day-use parking permit
Before we head into the different routes of this trail, let’s talk about all ten falls that you’ll see and how they are clustered on the trail.
All ten are pictured and labeled in this post, so you can see what you’re in for as well!
There are two main parking lots to park at so you can explore this trail: the North Falls Parking area and the South Falls Parking area. Below, I’ll help explain the many different routes you can take to best tackle this hike.
Read our guide to Silver Falls State Park for more info on the park itself and what else it offers.
1. South Falls
At a 177-foot drop, South Falls is Silver Fall State Park’s tallest waterfall. You can easily see this waterfall just a few minutes into the Trail of Ten Falls.
This is probably the most visited waterfall simply because it’s the first from the main parking area, and you can complete a one-mile loop if you’re in a rush and can only squeeze in one waterfall.
South Falls is an almost perfect rectangle of flowing water with an alcove directly behind it. Waking behind the waterfall is all part of the trail, and it’s very cool.
TIP: Tread with care—the stairs and path are a bit slippery due to all the misting.
South Falls also has a viewing bridge just across from the falls. You can use this to make a quick loop to this waterfall or skip the bridge loop and continue on to the next waterfall.
2. Lower South Falls
Just about another mile down on the Trail of Ten Falls, you’ll reach Lower South Falls, which is yet another incredible waterfall you can walk behind.
This one looks similar to its bigger sister, South Falls, but falls just 93-feet into the pool below. You can see in the picture above how tiny I am when walking behind the falls—the power you feel back there is unbelievable.
3-8. Lower North, Double, Drake, Middle North, Twin and Winter Falls
Right in the middle of the Trail of Ten Falls are six beautiful waterfalls. They aren’t as tall or impressive as South and Lower South, but they are all worth visiting.
They are all clustered on the path at the top of the loop, with Winter Falls falling south of the rest.
These “middle falls” on the trail are… Lower North Falls is 30 feet tall, Double Falls is 177 feet tall, Drake Falls is 27 feet tall, Middle North Falls is 103 feet tall, Twin Falls is 31 feet tall, and Winter Falls is 134 feet tall.
Double Falls is a little hidden and requires a small detour, but it lives up to its name with a small tier on top tumbling down to an even bigger tier, and you get to walk behind Middle North.
The trail brings you right up to all of the waterfalls, so if you’re on the trail, you’ll see them!
9&10. North and Upper North Falls
The last waterfalls on the Trail of Ten Falls are North Falls at 136 feet tall and Upper North Falls at 65 feet tall.
North Falls will be quite the waterfall finale! Yet again, you’ll come across another towering and spouting waterfall that you can walk behind to hear and feel the power of the falls.
Luckily, North Falls is another waterfall you can see individually if you don’t have much time—it’s only about a half-mile round trip from the North Fall parking lot.
READ MORE: 10 Hikes to Waterfalls Near Portland—That Are Open Now!
3 Variations of The Trail of 10 Falls
If you’re short on time or want to squeeze in some other spots, we are going to go ahead and tell you a few others ways you can tackle the Trail of Ten Falls.
1. Trail of Ten Falls—Entire Loop
Distance: 7.6 miles
Type of trail: Loop
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation Gain: 1,181
This is the main loop you’ll take if you want to see all ten falls.
The trail will take you from the South Falls parking lot around to South Falls via the Canyon Trail, to North and Upper Falls, and then completing the loop by using the Rim Trail. We think the whole trail is really worth doing if you can.
TIP: We went clockwise during our visit because if you go counterclockwise (from the South Falls parking area), you won’t run into a waterfall for a few miles! The south part of the Trail of Ten Falls loop isn’t the most exciting part, so we left it for last.
2. Trail of Ten Falls—Short Canyon Trail Loop
Distance: 4.8 miles
Type of trail: Loop
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation Gain: 915
For a bit of a shorter hike, you can cut off the North and Upper North Falls and still pack in the other eight falls using this loop trail.
This loop cuts down to Winter Falls and then comes back around to the South Falls parking area. You’re shaving off a bit more than 2 miles or so by using this route.
NOTE: If you want to see Twin Falls, you’ll have to detour and then backtrack to continue on the loop. Otherwise, you’ll cut this one off too and just see seven of the falls.
3. Trail of Ten Falls—Just North & South Falls
Distance: 1.5 miles (combining two shorter trails)
Type of trail: Out & Back
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Gain: 219 feet
North and South Falls are by far the stars of the show on the Trail of Ten Falls, so while we LOVED the entire trail, we know some people just don’t have the time. So, if you had to do the shortest hikes with the best reward, do the North and/or South Falls trail.
South Falls is about a one-mile round trip, and North Falls is only about half a mile. You can walk behind both of these waterfalls, and they are equally impressive.
Remember that you will need to drive to each of their respective parking lots to access them at the different points on the hike. You will be shaving off all of the rest of the waterfalls on the hike if you only do these two.
Final Thoughts on The Trail of Ten Falls:
The full trail to see all ten falls is certainly worth it, but if you only have a short amount of time, do the two shorter trails to see North & South Falls.
Read more about Silver Falls State Park.
This is one of the best hikes near Portland, so if you’re looking for a half-day trip, this is the one! While you’re out here, we recommend adding on Abiqua Falls, which is close by, for an epic full day of chasing waterfalls!
We hope this post helped you better explore the Trail of Ten Falls! Check out more things to do near Portland, waterfalls near Portland, and other great waterfall hikes in Oregon.
