The overlook on the new North Rim Trail at Silver Falls State Park near Salem, Ore., in an undated photo provided by the Oregon Parks & Recreation Department.
Courtesy of the Oregon Parks & Recreation Department
A new trail at Silver Falls State Park near Salem takes visitors to an overlook of North Falls and is meant to help relieve the crowding at the park’s south entrance.
The new North Canyon Day-Use Area includes picnic tables, parking and ADA-accessible restrooms. The new trail is 6 feet wide and at a less than 5% grade to make it more available to people using wheelchairs or other mobility devices.
Silver Falls State Park Manager Chris Gilliand said it’s a half mile to the new overlook on the new trail.
“And then the new trail that we built is accessible, and we use that term because it does kind of depend on the mobility device that people use,” Gilliand said. “It is packed gravel, it’s not paved, but it’s packed gravel all the way through the new viewpoint of North Falls.”
Gilliand said the hope is that visitors approaching the popular park from the north will use the new day-use area and take pressure off the main parking lot on the south side.
Silver Falls is a favorite destination for Oregonians and out-of-state visitors. It’s one of the first state parks in Oregon and home to 10 different stunning waterfalls.
More improvements are coming to Silver Falls State Park, including a new campground and visitors center in 2025.
The day-use area was built with GO bonds from the Legislature, and the trail was built with support from volunteers and donations to Oregon State Parks.
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