8.8 hr
Overview
Silver Falls is Oregon’s largest state park at 9,200 acres and thus offers more to the hiker than the canyon hikes to the waterfalls. The southern and eastern area of the park is a forested “backcountry’’ with a network of trails for hikers, bikers, and horses leading along mostly gentle slopes. This long loop uses the Perimeter Trail to head around the borderlands of the park, rising above 2,000 feet, and crosses the upper reaches of Bear Creek, the South Fork Silver Creek, and Howard Creek. Here and there, you will pass groves of ancient Douglas-firs among the mostly secondary woodland. Bears and cougars pass through here, and elk live here, but you're more likely to spot a couple of deer in the lush understory. About halfway through the loop, you'll pass the junction with the Lost Creek Trail, which leads down to the Santiam State Forest's Shellburg Falls Recreation Area and then drop to the salmonberry-choked bottomlands of Howard and Smith Creeks. Close the loop by using the Rackett Ridge Trail to ascend to the Perimeter Trail. From the North Falls Trailhead, cross the footbridge over the North Fork Silver Creek and walk down to the right, turning left at the creek for the Upper North Falls. The paved trail heads under the road bridge and comes to the Perimeter-Upper North Falls Trail Junction. Head up into woods of Douglas-fir, hemlock, maple and sword fern and cross a footbridge. Make 12 switchbacks up in mossy woods with some larger Douglas-firs. The trail levels, passing a fire road on the right and drops along the track of an old fire road at the crest of a ridge with a salal understory. At a junction, the fire road continues straight, while the Perimeter Trail heads off to the left on the level. Pass through some clearings in secondary forest before you reenter old growth. Cross three small creeks in mossy woods with an understory of vine maple. The trail heads up and makes five switchbacks before it levels and then rises in hemlock woods. There’s a final drop to the Perimeter-Rackett Ridge Trail Ju
Trail Stats
27.0 km
753 m
700 m
0 m
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