Overview

• Location: Marion County, Silver Falls State Park

• Waterfall Type: Curtain

• Height: ~93 feet (28 m) — walk-behind waterfall

• Trail Distance: ~2.5 miles from South Falls trailhead via the Trail of Ten Falls

• Difficulty: Easy

• Best Time to Visit: Year-round; best flow winter and spring

History & Background

Lower South Falls is a magnificent 93-foot walk-behind curtain waterfall in Silver Falls State Park — the second waterfall encountered on the Trail of Ten Falls after the iconic South Falls. Like South Falls above it, Lower South Falls allows visitors to walk behind a curtain of water through a natural cave carved by millennia of erosion. The walk-behind trail was widened by Civilian Conservation Corps crews in the 1930s using hand tools, opening these natural pathways for safe public use for the first time. Lower South Falls spreads broadly across a wide basalt ledge above a mossy cave, creating one of the park’s most atmospheric and photographed scenes. It is part of the South Silver Creek drainage that descends through the western portion of the Trail of Ten Falls loop.

Geology

Lower South Falls spreads its 93-foot curtain over a broad Columbia River Basalt ledge at approximately 1,130 feet elevation, part of the same 15-million-year-old basalt system that underlies all ten of Silver Falls State Park’s waterfalls. Like South Falls, the walk-behind cave exists because softer sandstone beneath the hard basalt cap has eroded away — water seeps between the rock layers and softens the sandstone, which gradually dissolves and retreats. The characteristic circular holes in the cave ceiling are tree casts — formed when the ancient lava flow engulfed living trees, burned them away, and hardened around their hollow shapes.

Directions & Access

• Nearest City: Silverton, OR (~14 miles northwest); Salem, OR (~35 miles west)

• Trail Information:

  • Lower South Falls is 2.5 miles from the South Falls trailhead on the Trail of Ten Falls loop; it comes shortly after South Falls on the counterclockwise loop, and the walk-behind path passes directly behind the curtain

  • The full Trail of Ten Falls loop is 7.2 miles; a shorter 2.8-mile loop turns back after Lower South Falls; dogs are not permitted on the trail

• Parking:

  • South Falls Day Use Area (day-use fee $10 OR/$12 out-of-state); arrive early spring and summer weekends; picnic tables and restrooms at the trailhead

• Accessibility:

  • Not wheelchair accessible — the canyon descent on natural surfaces prevents wheelchair access; the South Falls viewpoint near the trailhead is paved and accessible

Best Time to Visit

• Spring: Full flows; the walk-behind experience is immersive and misty; gorge wildflowers; arrive early to beat crowds

• Summer: Lower flow; the broad curtain still spectacular; busy season in the park

• Fall: Flows returning; golden maple and vine maple color in the canyon; lighter crowds

• Winter: Full flows; trail open year-round; icy conditions possible near the falls — traction devices recommended

Nearby Attractions

• South Falls (177 ft, walk-behind, 0.5 miles upstream)

• North Falls (136 ft, walk-behind)

• Middle North Falls (106 ft)

• Double Falls (184 ft, park’s tallest)

• Historic South Falls Lodge

References

• Links:

  • Oregon State Parks – Silver Falls State Park

  • Travel Oregon – Silver Falls State Park

• Books:

  • Oregon Waterfalls by Greg Plumb

  • Waterfall Lover's Guide: Pacific Northwest