This Oregon hike lets you walk behind four different waterfalls on one loop
Most waterfall hikes let you look. This one lets you walk straight through the curtain.
Four separate waterfalls along Silver Falls State Park’s Trail of Ten Falls have natural rock alcoves carved out behind them, so instead of standing at the base with a camera, you’re standing behind 177 feet of falling water listening to it roar. It’s about an hour south of Portland, and it’s one of the more genuinely cool things you can do on a summer day in the Willamette Valley.
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Table of Contents
The basics
The full loop is about 7.2 miles with roughly 800 feet of climbing, rated moderate, and it’s an officially designated National Recreation Trail. It links up South Falls and North Falls via the Canyon Trail and Rim Trail, and it’s genuinely one of the better waterfall-per-mile ratios you’ll find anywhere in the state — ten falls total on one continuous loop.
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The four waterfalls you can actually walk behind
South Falls is the headliner at 177 feet, and you’ll reach it within the first ten minutes from the South Falls trailhead. The path ducks right in behind the sheet of water, and the stone amphitheater back there makes the whole thing feel bigger and louder than it looks from the viewing bridge.
Lower South Falls, North Falls, and Middle North Falls each have the same setup further along the loop. None of them get old — the McKenzie-lava geology that eroded the softer rock beneath the basalt is the same reason all four exist, but each one has its own personality, from Middle North’s mossy amphitheater to North Falls closing things out at 136 feet.
Hike it clockwise
Start at the South Falls trailhead and go clockwise. You’ll hit South Falls in minutes instead of grinding through a couple of quiet miles of forest before your first payoff, which is what happens if you start the loop the other direction.
Short on time? You’ve got options
The full 7.2-mile loop is worth doing if you have the morning for it, but you can trim it. A shorter canyon loop cuts North and Upper North Falls and still gets you eight of the ten falls, and if you’re really pressed, South Falls alone is about a one-mile round trip from the main lot.
We’ve got a full breakdown of every waterfall and every route option on the Trail of Ten Falls if you want to plan the exact version that fits your day. Pair it with Abiqua Falls nearby if you’re turning this into a full day of waterfall chasing.
Before you go
You’ll need a day-use parking permit — $10 for Oregon residents, $12 for out-of-state visitors — available at fee machines near the trailheads. Heads up: neither a Northwest Forest Pass nor an America the Beautiful pass covers it, since this is an Oregon State Parks fee, not a federal one.
Dogs and bikes aren’t allowed on the Canyon Trail or the connector trails that feed into it, though leashed dogs are fine on the Rim Trail and the pet-friendly Upper North Falls path. Gates are open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. through August, so you’ve got plenty of daylight to work with.
Trip tips: grab a rental car for the drive down from Portland, or lock in a hotel nearby if you want to turn it into an overnight trip and hit the falls at opening.
Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.
