Silver Falls State Park

Silver Falls State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, located near Silverton, about 20 miles (32 km) east-southeast of Salem. It is the largest state park in Oregon with an area of more than 9,000 acres (36 km²), and it includes more than 24 miles (39 km) of walking trails, 14 miles (23 km) of horse trails, and a 4-mile (6.4 km) bike path. Its 8.7-mile (14.0 km) Canyon Trail/Trail of Ten Falls runs along the banks of Silver Creek and by ten waterfalls, from which the park received its name. Four of the ten falls have an amphitheater-like surrounding that allows the trail to pass behind the flow of the falls.^[2] The Silver Falls State Park Concession Building Area and the Silver Creek Youth Camp-Silver Falls State Park are separately listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

The park's most visited waterfall is South Falls, a 177-foot (54 m) cascade.^[3] Remote Double Falls, however, is listed as the highest waterfall in the park, plunging 178 feet (54 m) in a small tributary side canyon deep within the Silver Creek Canyon.

History

Silver Falls City formed in 1888 and was primarily a logging community with a few homesteaders, and the area was extensively logged. By 1900 a Silverton photographer, June D. Drake, began to campaign for park status, using his photographs of the falls to gain support. (Drake Falls was later named for him.)^[5] In 1926, however, an inspector for the National Park Service rejected the area for park status because of a proliferation of unattractive stumps.

In 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced that the Silver Falls area would be turned into a Recreational Demonstration Area. Private land that had been logged was purchased, and workers in the Civilian Conservation Corps were employed to develop park facilities, including the historic South Falls Lodge, completed in the late 1930s. It was used as a restaurant from 1946 until the late 1950s and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Silver Falls State Park Concession Building Area in 1983.^[6] The Silver Creek Youth Camp—Silver Falls State Park was also added to the National Register at this time.

In January 2008, during the 2008 supplemental legislative session, Fred Girod of the Oregon House of Representatives sought federal designation of the area as a national park via a house joint memorial to the United States Congress, but the bill died in committee.^[7]

Geology

The history of the canyon's formation begins about 26 million years ago to the Oligocene period, when most of Oregon was covered by ocean. After the waters of the ocean receded about 15 million years ago, the flood basalt flows of the Columbia River Basalt Group covered the sandstone that had been the ocean floor. The softer layers of sandstone beneath the basalt sheet eroded over time, creating pathways behind some of the waterfalls which Civilian Conservation Corps workers widened to make safe for public use. Another geologic feature are many tree "chimneys" or casts, formed when hot lava engulfed living trees and disintegrated them.^[8]

Fishing

Both the North and South Forks of Silver Creek and the mainstem are often overlooked fishing waters for small native cutthroat trout. Most trout in both forks run quite small with the average catch usually in the 5-9 inch range. A large fish in these waters runs 12 inches (300 mm) though on rare occasion a larger fish will show up. The confluence of the forks is deep in the canyon and not accessible by trail. However for the adventurous angler there are good opportunities for slightly larger trout than inhabit the forks above. The best stretches to fish are the creek below the confluence and the North Fork as it generally carries more water. The best time to fish is usually the first few weeks after the season opens in late May and then again after the first fall rains usually in September. You will not likely catch large fish at Silver Creek Falls, but with a little hard work and some wading there are plenty of fish to be caught adding yet another dimension to this dynamic park.

Waterfalls

The Trail of Ten Falls passes ten waterfalls on the North and South forks of Silver Creek or on one of the tributaries; five additional falls are below the confluence but still within the Park boundaries. ^[9]

The Friends of Silver Falls

Volunteers inspired by the beauty and history of Silver Falls have been active there since establishment of the park in 1933. In 1986, the citizens and the park staff envisioned a mission and established the Friends of Silver Falls State Park, Inc. That mission is "to further the educational and interpretive opportunities available to park visitors; to promote the preservation, protection and enhancement of the historical, natural, and recreational resources within the park; and to assist in the implementing park improvements and educational programs compatible with the nature of Silver Falls State Park."^[10]

As a result, this private and public partnership has created a more meaningful park experience for the nearly one million annual visitors to the park, far beyond what state park funding alone can provide.^[10]

Since 1992, volunteers of the Friends of Silver Falls State Park have operated the Nature Store in historic South Falls Lodge. This store offers a variety of books, clothing and souvenirs in keeping with the park's nature theme. The organization has also been responsible for much of the interpretive signage along the Trail of Ten Falls.^[10]

Other goals of the Friends include compiling oral histories from those who have memories of the park region, keeping alive the history of Silver Falls City, recognizing the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s and 1940s, maintaining the park's historic district, and continuing to place interpretive signs throughout the park's more than 9,000 acres (36 km²).^[10]

References

External links

• "Silver Falls State Park". Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_211.php. Retrieved 2011-06-26. 
• "Silver Falls State Park". Oregon Tourism Commission. http://www.traveloregon.com/Explore-Oregon/Willamette-Valley/Outdoor-Recreation/State-Parks/State-Parks/Silver-Falls-State-Park.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-26. 
• "Friends of Silver Falls State Park". http://www.friendsofsilverfalls.net. Retrieved 2011-06-26.