Probably My Favorite Waterfall
Updated: Mar 23
I don't know what I was expecting, but I guess it wasn't this. On Day 1 of our southern Oregon coast trip, we headed to find a couple of waterfalls that were recommended in the AllTrails app. Waterfalls are one of my top natural features to seek out when hiking or exploring, so I was pretty pumped.
We drove a narrow, windy, tree-canopied road for several miles to get to the trailhead within an Oregon state natural area.
When we arrived at the trailhead/parking area (which had maybe one other vehicle), we decided to head left to Silver Falls first. To our knowledge, it hadn't rained, yet everything was wet. As we walked, we passed big, tall trees (which I didn't expect), hillsides of lush green ferns and cloverleafs, and trees dripping with moss. By the piles of deciduous leaves on the ground, it was clear that fall had swept its way through.
The "hike" to Silver Falls was short, wet, muddy, and slippery in spots. But it felt amazing to be outside in the fresh air and taking in this new environment around us. Bundled up dressed in layers, I was completely freezing, but not in a 20-below-zero-Wisconsin-winter kind of way.
Before long, we could hear the falls and my excitement increased because it sounded bigger than what I was expecting. And at this time of year in the Sierra, most of the waterfalls have dried up for the season, so I didn't know how much water would be flowing here.
The answer: Plenty. It was magnificent. It was loud. I was getting drenched in spray and I hardly cared. We were able to get incredibly close to the falls, too. Again, it was slippery and muddy and downright sloppy the closer we got, but Silver Falls was definitely one of the coolest waterfalls I have seen in person.
As we turned around and made our way back to the trailhead, the morning sun and particulates in the air (smoke or moisture or fog (or magic)? probably all of the above) were beaming through and it just looked like a heavenly scene.
When we got back to the trailhead, we headed on the path to lower Golden Falls for the next little adventure...
