March 11th, 2023: Trail of Ten Falls

Type of hike: Loop | Time (approx): 3 hours 19 minutes if you complete the full loop

Distance: Around 11.9km | Elevation Gain: 363m

First time hiking in Oregon! This popped up on our search for best hikes in Oregon, so of course we had to check it out. It was a bit of a drive out from our accommodation in Bend, but well worth it. It's about an hour away from Salem, and as the name suggests, there are ten waterfalls to see here.

Starting Point:

We parked at South Falls Lodge Trailhead, and purchased our day pass at a booth there. Decent amount of parking space, and there's a large washroom facility as well that was fairly clean. We went anti-clockwise for this trail, and the first half of the hike is on the Rim Trail until Upper North Falls, where it connects to the Canyon Trail back to the South Falls Lodge Trailhead.

There was still snow sticking to the ground this time of the year, though much of it has melted off. That made the trail very slushy, and quite slippery in some sections. I definitely underestimated the weather, so we made the trek in Vessi sneakers, and needless to say, my socks were soaking wet by the end of it.

The trees were all covered by lush green moss and lichens, which created a very peaceful and serene surrounding. The snow clumps on the tree branches were slowly melting off, so they created a bit of a drizzle on us despite having no actual rain.

First waterfall we saw was called Winter Falls, which was pretty but not super spectacular.

We were running a bit tight on time so we decided to take a shortcut that leads us from Winter Falls to Middle North Falls. Therefore, we missed out on North Falls, Upper North Falls, and Twin Falls. There is a small parking area at Winter Falls in case anyone decides they didn't want to do the trail, but would like to see this waterfall still.

The next one - Middle North Falls - was truly majestic, and it was the highlight of this hike. It's 106ft tall and the best part was we were able to right underneath it. It felt almost surreal to be able to get this close to a waterfall and actually feel the spray of water on my face.

Next up was Drake Falls, which was a shortest one we've seen on this hike. It's only 27ft tall, but I still liked it quite a bit because it was one of the wider waterfalls. That made up for its short length.

The last one we saw was Double Falls (because we took another shortcut due to time crunch). It's supposed to be the tallest waterfall on this hike at 178ft, but I didn't feel like it was that tall in the moment. You have to go on a different trail that comes up on the left, but it's super short. I wish the trail leads closer to the falls like Middle North Falls.

There is another shortcut right before Lower South Falls that leads straight back to the trailhead, and we took that instead of continuing on the Canyon Trail. As a result, we missed out on Lower South Falls and South Falls, but it was alright. We definitely had our fill of waterfalls at this point. Plus, our feet were getting cold and soggy from the slush.

Overall Thoughts:

I personally enjoyed this trail quite a bit despite the slush and mud. It was my own fault for not being more weather prepared. The trail itself wasn't difficult at all, and the elevation gain was super minimal. It's also wide enough for easy passing with other hikers. There was so much greenery all around and I loved looking at all the different shades of moss. I've never been able to get up close and personal with a waterfall before, so that was also really cool to experience. All you will need for it is a pair of decent sturdy waterproof shoes and you're good to go! I don't even think poles are necessary.

Before you go:

There is a day-use parking permit for this hike, which is $5 USD. This trail is located inside Silver Falls State Park, which requires this permit. It can be purchased online or at many of the trailheads and booths in the state park.

What to bring:

1. Sturdy waterproof hiking shoes.

2. Water bottle or water hydration pack