Silver Falls State Park is home to the Trail of Ten-a hiking trail of ten waterfalls on a 7 1/2-8 mi loop. It’s wonderful, especially when it is raining. Then instead of just the ten named falls there are about as many lesser falls that are more pronounced with how full they become. This past weekend they were spectacular! No need to stay inside just because it is raining.
We once had our neighbor Dave who is a geologist for USGS go with us to the park. He showed us how the place was formed and pointed out cool geological features like this. This is looking up at the cave ceiling at North Falls into a void created by cooling lava surrounding a tree and as it cooled it kept the shape while burning out the tree.
After a hike the South Falls Cafe is a great place for a coffee by the fireplace. The counter where you place your order also has a fireplace and the top of the room is encircled in oil paintings of the different waterfalls in the park. The cozy spot to sit and sip has original furniture and neat artifacts from around the park. The park was a WPA project so the building itself and the trails all have a historic feel. It’s a treasure!
Some photos from the past few years- (Seasons make such a difference!)
