The second day of my solo trip waterfall weekend outside of Portland, Oregon, I traveled to an hour and a half south to Silver Falls State Park outside of Salem, Oregon to hike the Trail of Ten Falls. As you can imagine from the name, there are literally ten beautiful and epic waterfalls along this hiking trail. The entire look is 7.2-7.8 miles, but I chose to hike from one end to the other and hitch a ride back to my car.
It was definitely a LONG hike, but I hardly noticed because of all the exciting sights to take in! Each waterfall has its own unique qualities and one you can even walk behind the curtain of water along the trail. To sit in that cave is like a front row seat to witness the power of tons of water pouring down each second- pretty magnificent. The trail is not difficult or strenuous as far as climbing is concerned, but come prepared with snacks, water, and comfy shoes because it is a longer trail. There are camping and RV sites available if you'd like to stay overnight, however, I chose to continue on after soaking up the scenery to soak in an equally beautiful hot spring, Terwilliger Hot Springs.
Terwilliger Hot Springs was another few hours drive south. The drive here is absolutely incredible sight-seeing, and the scenery upon arrival does not disappoint either. I pulled in to find a small parking area a few hundred feet down the road from the trail entrance, overlooking a giant water basin on the opposite side of the road. I gathered my belongings and my ten-dollar entry fee (cash preferred) to start walking towards the trailhead, only to turn around and see another epic waterfall along the trail towards the hot springs. This land is truly incredible!
I paid the lady in the booth for entry and began the easy hike up to the springs. There is moderate elevation increase along the trail and beautiful views of the waterfall I previously mentioned, but the trail itself is less than a mile long. Arriving at the springs, there is a wooden area with benches where you can set your clothes/towels/etc. This is a clothing optional hot spring and many people choose to soak in the nude, but every time I have ever visited the people have been very respectful and appropriately behaved. There are three pools with varying temperatures, views of the waterfalls and canyon, and a unique carving of a cougar in one of the large rocks surrounding the pools. After a long day's hike at SIlver Falls State Park, this was my perfect end to the day.
After this, I had planned to drive home, however, found myself much too relaxed to get far from the springs. The good news is that this area has a lot of national forest, which is free to camp in! So, I decided to pull over and car-camp for the evening rather than risk a weary drive back to Portland. That being said, if you choose to follow this itinerary, I would recommend planning in advance to get a room or AirBnB after the springs.
