South Falls (Silver Falls)

About South Falls (Silver Falls)

South Falls is a 177-foot curtain of water on South Fork Silver Creek, and the Canyon Trail runs right behind it. Oregon State Parks and Wikipedia agree on the height. Nearby Double Falls, at 178 feet, is the tallest in the park.

Silver Falls is Oregon's largest state park, at more than 9,000 acres, and Oregon State Parks says it draws well over a million visitors a year. The park opened on July 23, 1933. Beyond the waterfall loop it has more than 35 miles of backcountry trails.

How many waterfalls are in the park

The best-known route is the Trail of Ten Falls, a 7.2-mile loop of the Canyon and Rim trails that passes ten waterfalls. Oregon State Parks says four of the park's falls let you walk behind the water, South Falls among them.

The park has a logging-town past. Silver Falls City, a logging community platted in 1888, per Oregon State Parks, once sat above South Falls. Silverton photographer June D. Drake campaigned for a park starting in 1902, and Drake Falls on the loop is named for him.

South Falls Lodge and cafe

The South Falls Lodge area was built with Civilian Conservation Corps involvement in the late 1930s. Oregon State Parks says the park's CCC structures are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Oregon State Parks lists the South Falls Cafe as open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Another part of the park page gives seasonal hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April to October, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from November to March. Bigleaf Market and Grill is listed at 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Getting there and parking

Oregon State Parks gives the park address as 20024 Silver Falls Hwy SE, Sublimity, OR 97385. It's in Marion County, and Silverton is the nearest town. We found no official drive time from Portland, Salem or Eugene, so check a map.

The large South Falls day-use lots serve South Falls and the lodge, and electric vehicle charging is available there. There's also a seasonal Maple Ridge lot and limited parking at the North Falls Trailhead.

The North Canyon day-use area has picnic tables, an ADA restroom, a nature play area and 59 parking spaces, three of them ADA accessible, per Oregon State Parks.

Day-use parking permit

Every vehicle needs an Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit: $10 a day for Oregon residents or $12 for non-residents. You buy the 1-day permit on site. An OPRD annual pass or a current campground receipt also counts.

Oregon State Parks says the Trail of Ten Falls needs no registration or timed entry, only the parking permit. Pay stations sit at most trailheads. The machines give no change, so bring exact cash or use Visa, AMEX or Mastercard.

Federal passes don't work here. Oregon State Parks says the Northwest Forest Pass and the America the Beautiful pass are not valid. If you're also planning a gorge state park stop like Latourell Falls, check that page for its own permit rules.

Willamette Falls in Oregon City, about 33 miles away in a straight line, is a viewpoint stop on the way to or from Portland.

Gates at the South Falls and North Canyon day-use areas follow a monthly schedule. They're open 8am to 5pm from November to January, and 7am to 9pm from April to August. In October the hours are 8am to 7pm.

Camping and cabins at Silver Falls State Park

Oregon State Parks says the park is open for camping year-round. Its campground lists:

• 48 electrical sites with water, with 18 or more open year-round

• 43 tent sites with water nearby, open seasonally from May to October

• 14 cabins, 7 of them pet-friendly, open year-round

• Howard Creek Horse Camp, open May to September, with 5 primitive sites with horse stalls and a group site for 24 people and 12 horses

The campground has flush toilets and showers for campers, and a dump station costs $10. Reservations can be made 6 months ahead and are required for cabins. Book online or call 800-452-5687.

Oregon State Parks says the North Falls meeting hall and the group camp area are closed for construction (as listed Oct 2026). A planned campground at the North Gateway has been put on hold, though work on a North Gateway visitor center is underway.

We found no official nightly rates on the park page, so check the booking site for current prices.

Map and nearby falls

Trail of Ten Falls and the South Falls walk

Silver Falls State Park offers walks from the 1.0-mile South Falls out-and-back to the 7.2-mile Trail of Ten Falls loop, per Oregon State Parks.

Trail of Ten Falls loop

Oregon State Parks calls the 7.2-mile loop a moderate hike with an overall elevation change of 800 feet. It joins the Canyon Trail along the creek with the Rim Trail above it. Expect stairs and steep sections.

Oregon State Parks lists four access points: South Falls, the North Falls Trailhead, the Winter Falls Trailhead and North Canyon. Check the park's alerts or call 503-873-8681 before you start from Winter Falls. The OPRD Trail of Ten Falls map (PDF, listed in the sources) shows every junction.

Walk behind South Falls

South Falls out-and-back (1.0 mi): this is the shortest way to walk behind South Falls. Oregon State Parks lists it as a 1.0-mile round trip on the Canyon Trail from the South Falls area. We couldn't find an elevation figure for this short route.

Shorter loops: Maple Ridge and Winter Falls

Maple Ridge Loop (2.6 mi): a mid-length option that passes 2 falls, per the park.

Winter Falls Loop (5.0 mi): a longer option that takes in 7 falls. Check the park's alerts for trail closures first. Dogs aren't allowed on either loop.

Accessible North Rim Trail

The North Rim Trail opened in July 2023. Oregon State Parks says the 1-mile trail is highly accessible, with a compacted surface 6 feet wide or more, and includes a viewpoint of North Falls.

There are no restrooms on the trails, so use the ones at South Falls day-use or the lodge before you set out.

When to visit

The park is open all year, but gate hours change by month, so check the schedule before an early or late visit. Check the park's alerts for trail closures before you go.

Best time and fall colors

Oregon State Parks says mid-October is usually the peak of the park's short fall color season. We found no official crowd figures by month.

Winter visits

Oregon State Parks warns that icy conditions are common on the park's trails and roads in winter. Cabins and 18 or more electrical sites stay open year-round. The cafe's winter hours are shorter, per one listing on the park page.

Safety and swimming

Photos

South Falls (Silver Falls) FAQ

Nearby waterfalls

• 
  Willamette Falls33 mi straight-linePartly open

  40FT
• 
  Latourell Falls50 mi straight-lineOpen

  224FT
• 
  Wahkeena Falls55 mi straight-lineOpen

  242FT
• 
  Multnomah Falls55 mi straight-lineOpen

  620FT
• 
  Horsetail Falls57 mi straight-lineOpen

  176FT
• 
  Wahclella Falls62 mi straight-lineOpen

  60FT
• 
  Tunnel Falls63 mi straight-lineOpen
• 
  Punch Bowl Falls63 mi straight-lineOpen

  35FT
• 
  Moulton Falls67 mi straight-lineOpen

  10FT

All waterfalls in Oregon

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On these lists: Waterfalls you can swim in · Waterfalls you can walk behind