On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Good morning everyone,
I’d planned on running some old pics but couldn’t find the submission – my apologies to the submitter.
Fear not, we’ve got a great one to finish out this week.
Take care and stay home! We shall be here Monday to continue Sister Golden Bear’s multipart submission
Silver Falls is the crown jewel of the Oregon State Parks. I’ve been going there since we moved to a home across the the road from the park in 1960 when I was four years old. I’m now retired and live about 20 miles away. The Trail of Ten Falls is my favorite walk fall, winter and spring. I like the open views when the deciduous leaves are down. Nearly all of the initial park development was by CCC crews during the Great Depression. Most of the wooden buildings are gone, stone walls and steps have been rebuilt as needed. The places where they dynamited the trail out of the basalt cliffs haven’t required much maintenance. I usually hike Rim Trail first so that I’m looping back through the canyon past the falls in evening light. There are a ton of great pics of the each of the falls so I’m including little things I see along the trails. Besides the waterfalls we have 6 foot diameter old growth firs, wildflowers in the spring and fall leaves.
Shot with a Panasonic gx85 and 12-32 zoom
Lower South Falls from about halfway up the stairs. This is March 2nd and buds are beginning to show.
The trail behind Lower South Falls just gets you out of the pourover. You’ll get your boots wet. Tuck away anything that needs to stay dry. A little bit of ice under the falls. A car load of us skipped school during a long, hard cold snap to hike the trail and admire the ice. Spent a lot of time crawling hanging onto brush. This was one of the safe spots. The ice had built up on both side of the trail so high I couldn’t see out. The rangers close the trail on days like that now. The ice randomly breaks off the cliffs in chunks that weigh hundreds of pounds.
South Falls, 177 feet is next to the main day use area and the campground. It’s one of 4 with a trail behind the water. I usually walk the Rim trail to Upper North Falls. This one of the iconic views that the park keeps clear.
Every step of the Trail of Ten Falls is beautiful. Here is a section I love that was dynamited out of a basalt cliff by the CCC crews. In a few weeks we’ll have wildflowers peeking out through the moss and ferns. I’m eyeing an Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro for this spring.
A shaft of light thru the dark winter woods.
Lower North Falls 30 feet. This is the iconic view. Many years ago a few guys kayaked it successfully before the rangers noticed and banned it.
The stonework on this bridge to Winter Falls is relatively recent but the park has maintained the CCC esthetic.
Sunset from the edge of the park looking across the Willamette Valley to the Coast Range.
HuCat
Thanks so much! We lived in Oregon for more than 20 years, and visited, picnicked, camped at Silver Falls often. I took my late mother-in-law there on a winter day in the 90s when hoar frost had formed on the railings of the road bridge above the falls, looking like lace stars along the length of the tubing. Naturally, I didn’t take pictures as we habitually leave our camera in the glove compartment so no one takes pictures during our hikes.
p.a.
Beautiful! Until I heard it spoken on a news show, I thought it was pronounced Will-a-METTE, not Will-A-mette?
WereBear
I love waterfalls. One day I will take the ADK Waterfall Challenge.
This area has so many some of them are roadside!
JPL
Thank you for submitting the pictures and what a fun hike. Nice!
Rob
Pretty!!
Mary G
So much water! Lovely place.
debbie
Wow! Even the stone walkway is beautiful!
Dorothy A. Winsor
I particularly love the fourth picture. Thanks for sending them in.
cintibud
Beautiful!
J R in WV
Beautiful !!! Thanks so much!
arrieve
I love the picture of the falls through the trees. Beautiful place.
HinTN
I can see why kayakers would love that 30 foot drop. Great photos of what is clearly a wonderful place. Thank you.