Silver Falls State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, located near Silverton, about 20mi east-southeast of Salem. It is the largest state park in Oregon with an area of more than 9000acre, and it includes more than 24mi of walking trails, 14mi of horse trails, and a 4mi bike path. Its 8.7mi 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. 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 177ft cascade. Remote Double Falls, however, is listed as the highest waterfall in the park, plunging 178ft in a small tributary side canyon deep within the Silver Creek Canyon.HistorySilver Falls City formed in 1888 and was primarily a logging community with a few homesteaders, and the area was extensively logged. The small lumber town of Silver Falls City sat atop the South Falls, and as the land was cleared, a local entrepreneur sold admission to the Falls area, with attractions such as pushing cars over the falls and even hosting a stunt with a daredevil riding over in a canoe.
