Every winter Oregon State Parks ranger Matt Palmquist likes to lead what he calls a “sensory hike” at Silver Falls State Park — roughly 23 miles from Salem — where visitors experience the forest using all their senses. He starts by handing out a sheet of paper listing various shades of green and asks hikers to find as many of those hues as possible.
Without fail, hikers find almost every shade of green on the card. That includes the deep, dark greens of old-growth Douglas firs, as well as massive light-green ferns, neon lichens plastered across rocks and emerald curtains of moss draped across tree branches. “It’s pretty impressive in the winter,” Palmquist says.
That rainbow of green is just part of what makes the park such a special place to visit in winter. Across 9,000 mostly wooded acres, one of the crown jewels of the Oregon State Parks system offers peaceful hikes, prolific bird-watching, captivating tree-climbing adventures and overnight stays in heated cabins. And since most of the park’s 1.1 million annual visitors arrive between spring and fall, you’ll enjoy it all with plenty of solitude if you’re up for a little rain and cooler temperatures.
Here’s how to make the most of your winter escape to this green haven near Salem.
Get to Know Winter in Silver Falls State Park
When the last of the bigleaf maple trees have emptied and winter’s first frost arrives, Silver Falls transforms in a variety of fascinating ways.
The most noticeable transformation occurs along the roughly 8-mile Trail of Ten Falls Loop, which invites hikers to view and walk behind an astounding 10 waterfalls. The spring-fed falls are impressive all year long but get an extra boost from rainfall between January and April. “When we get a really big rainstorm, or if we have drawn-out, consistent rain, that is when the waterfalls are going to be the biggest and most impressive,” Palmquist says. “It’s kind of like walking through a car wash but without all the brushes and all the soap.”
If you’d like to see the waterfalls at their thundering peak, Palmquist recommends visiting one to five days after heavy rainfall, bringing winter traction devices to strap on your shoes in case of snow or ice, turning back when sections of trail seem particularly slick and getting conditions from a park ranger before setting out.
Other seasonal shifts are fleeting and more subtle.
For instance, one of Palmquist’s favorite only-in-winter phenomena is what’s known as hair ice. The ice formation occurs when tiny, thread-like filaments of ice get squeezed out of rotting wood by a fungus after temperatures drop below freezing at night. “It looks like Santa’s beard,” Palmquist says. “You never know when you’re going to see it — but when the conditions are right, you’ll see a lot of it in one day.” He suggests watching for the delicate formations on early-morning trail walks before temperatures rise above freezing and melt it all away.
Wintertime Hikes, Birds and Trees to Climb in the Park
The park sits at about 1,300 feet above sea level and receives occasional snowfall, but many of the park’s most popular activities remain compelling and accessible all winter long.
For hikers looking for adventure beyond the Trail of Ten Falls, Palmquist recommends the 3.1-mile Howard Creek Loop. The trail skirts the edge of a wetland, passes its namesake channel and glimpses some of the park’s rugged backcountry.
Elsewhere across the park, winter offers plenty of chances to spy the park’s resident birds — such as the black-and-blue Steller’s jay, robins, chickadees and golden-crowned kinglets. The latter are scarcely larger than a pingpong ball, but Palmquist says that visitors may see dozens perched together on just a few tree branches around the South Falls day-use area. “When you see so many of them, they’re really cute and really cool to watch,” he says.
Another fun wintertime activity takes visitors off the ground and past those same tree branches. Local outfitter Tree Climbing at Silver Falls delivers half-day and sunset climbs all year long within the park. Leo Rosen-Fischer, the outfitter’s owner and founder, says that climbs reach 200 to 300 feet high and that winter outings reward climbers with up-close views of snow-covered canopies. Rosen-Fischer offers adaptive equipment for wheelchair-accessible climbs, as well.
If you’re visiting around the holidays, consider timing your visit around the weekend-long Silver Falls Winter Festival, typically held around the South Falls day-use area. The two-day event in December often includes wreath making, guided hikes, nature-based arts and crafts and other family activities.
Spend the Night in a Cozy Cabin
A pair of old-school overnight opportunities await in Silver Falls State Park — typically with more solitude than at the height of summer.
Near the southwestern corner of the park, the remote Smith Creek Village district hosts more than a dozen cabins — many of which date back to the 1940s. Most are tiny, one-room outposts with shared shower facilities. Four spacious cabins sleep up to 12 and come with in-home wood-burning stoves, restrooms and a selection of board games. A few duplex units come with twin beds and private restrooms. The Calypso Cottage, meanwhile, hosts a full kitchen, wood-burning stove and jetted tub for a more lavish getaway.
Away from the cottages, Smith Creek Village is home to the Bigleaf Market & Grill. The grab-and-go eatery dishes breakfast burritos, sandwiches and other light bites for breakfast and lunch. Grab your fare for later, or enjoy it around one of Bigleaf’s crackling fireplaces. Warm beverages from Stumptown Coffee Roasters and a selection of Oregon-themed souvenirs round out Bigleaf’s offerings.
For a more rustic experience, consider parking your RV or booking one of 14 cabins in the park’s main campground near the South Falls day-use area. The cabins are open year-round, and seven are pet-friendly. Each cabin comes with a bed, though campers should bring their own bedding, as well as baseboard heaters, electricity and access to the on-site showers and restrooms. The campground reopened in 2025 after extensive renovations that included repaving and building a new wheelchair-accessible restroom building.
If You Go:
- Before hiking, be sure to pack the Ten Essentials, which include extra layers of clothing, first-aid supplies and a flashlight or another form of illumination.
- Always practice Leave No Trace principles when outdoors — such as planning ahead, traveling only on durable surfaces and leaving what you find.
- Get detailed forecasts and extended outlooks from the National Weather Service.
- The park closes around sunset — roughly 5 p.m. — in winter. Start your desired activity early enough so you’re out of the forest and back at your vehicle well before the sun sets.
- Check the Oregon Department of Transportation’s TripCheck tool for construction updates, closures, traffic alerts and road conditions. A camera is positioned along OR-214 within the park and typically shows whether the highway is snowy and passable.
- Pets are welcome on many of the trails at Silver Falls — but not on the Canyon Trail, which makes up most of the Trail of Ten Falls.
