Silver Falls State Park Oregon
Silver Falls State Park - Silverton Oregon
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. Silver Falls State Park opened July 23, 1933.
The area was
settled originally by the Kalapuyan Indians, who were removed through various
treaties and resettled on the Grand Ronde Reservation. The Kalapuyans most
likely used the area for hunting, as well as for spirit quests. A small town
was established in the Silver Falls area, although it was abandoned by the time
the park was created in 1933.
The State Park has
the scenic treasure, The Trail of Ten Falls, a spectacular, nationally
recognized hiking trail that weaves through a dense forested landscape. The
trail passes a series of breathtaking waterfalls along a rocky canyon, and
descends to a winding creek at the forest floor. This 7.2 mile loop is
considered to be a moderate hike, with an overall elevation change of 800 feet.
All waterfalls in
the park spill over 15-million-year-old Columbia River basalt. At that time the
Columbia River flowed through this area to the sea at what is now Newport.
Repeated lava flows poured down the river channel from vents in Eastern Oregon,
gradually pushing the river northward. As the lava slowly cooled, it sometimes
fractured to form the honeycomb of columns visible on cliff edges. Circular
indentations in the ceilings of the misty caverns behind the falls are tree
wells, formed when the lava flows hardened around burning trees. The churning
of Silver Creek gouged the soft soil from beneath the harder lava, leaving
these caverns and casts.
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