Hike The Trail of 10 Falls at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon.

Swimming Area

The Trail of Ten Falls is a 7.2-mile loop hike at Silver Falls State Park and takes an average of three and a half hours to complete. It costs $5 for a parking permit at a pay station, or you can use an Oregon State Parks Pass.

You can hike the trail in a clockwise or a counterclockwise loop. I prefer the clockwise method because there are treacherous stairs near Lower South Falls where you can go down the stairs and not up them. There is another set of stairs near North Falls where you are walking upward, but I found it not as difficult as the stairs near Lower South Falls.

I have been to 10 Falls twice, once in the late spring of this past year and again in the middle of summer. I do not recommend going in the middle of summer because it was sweltering, and some of the waterfalls had dried up.

Getting there

When I pulled up the directions before I left for the hike, I wanted to park at the South Falls Day-use parking area, but my GPS wanted me to go through the North Falls camping area. If this happens to you, go past it, and you'll come to the North Falls trailhead parking. You can either park there or continue to the South Falls Lot.

I arrived at about 8 a.m. and found it one of the best times to get there because it wasn't that crowded yet, and the trail didn't become busy until about 10 a.m.

Near the parking lot, there are pleasant and clean flushable toilets and pit toilets along the trail.

The South Falls Day-use area has a swimming area, a nature store, a lodge and cafe, and volleyball and horseshoe pits.

South Falls

South Falls

If you are starting at South Falls, you will begin at the top, where you will hike down and walk behind the fall to see all of its glory. To see Lower South Falls and the rest of the falls, you will need to take the Canyon Trail. Cross over the footbridge on Canyon Trail, going to Maple Ridge Trail to get a better view of South Falls.

There are switch-back stairs on your way to Lower South Falls, so I recommend taking the loop clockwise so that you only have to go down the stairs because the first time I hiked 10 Falls, I went counterclockwise, and it was hell going up all those stairs. You will also find a nice stream to follow along the way.

Lower South Falls

Lower South Falls

Lower South Falls is a peaceful waterfall you can walk behind, but be careful when walking on the path because it can sometimes be a bit flooded. There are stepping stones along the way to help you out.

Lower North Falls

Lower North Falls

Lower North Falls is one of the smaller waterfalls on the trail that has lush trees all around.

Double Falls

Double Falls

When I hiked the 10 Falls in late spring, this waterfall was the most crowded. When I returned in the summer, there was barely any water coming down, but not many people gathered there, either. Double Falls is one of two waterfalls, though, where you can reach the waterfall and play in the water.

Drake Falls

Drake Falls

Drake Falls is another small waterfall, and the only way to see Drake Falls is to look out on the overlook.

Middle North Falls

Middle North Falls

If you made it to Middle North Falls, congratulations, you are about halfway done with the hike.

Winter Falls

Winter Falls

If you go the clockwise route, you should take the trail leading to Winter Falls from Canyon Trail after Middle North Falls and not from the Rim Trail. From the Canyon Trail, it is a lot smoother, and there is not a steep descent down, unlike on the Rim Trail. If you go in the summer, be prepared for there to be no water coming from the top of the waterfall, like what happened when I went in summertime. Luckily, I got a fantastic shot in springtime. There is parking at the top of Winter Falls, and I heard it is stunning in the autumn and wintertime.

Twin Falls

Twin Falls

Twin Falls is another one of the smallest of all the falls, and there is a trail off to the side that leads to the waterfall.

North Falls

North Falls

North Falls was my favorite among the Silver Falls State Park waterfalls. This one is a must-see. When I was approaching North Falls, the sound of the rushing water sounded like a jet engine. The trail goes right behind the fall, with benches to sit and enjoy the scenery.

Upper North Falls

Upper North Falls

The final waterfall was Upper North Falls, and it is the second fall that you can reach after stepping down a few slippery steps.

It can be a bit boring after the Upper North Falls until you get back to the starting point at South Falls, but after I reached that 10th fall, I was feeling a little bit euphoric, so I didn't mind.

Cafe

After a long hike, going to a cafe at the end was refreshing to enjoy food and a cold iced drink.

Also, remember to stop by the gift shop afterward to pick up a souvenir.