North Gateway Visitor Center under construction.
About Silver Falls State Park
Silver Falls State Park is renowned for its waterfalls and a 35-mile trail network for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. The Trail of Ten Falls, a spectacular, nationally recognized hiking trail weaves through a temperate rainforest in the western Cascade Mountain foothills.The trail passes a series of breathtaking waterfalls along a rocky canyon, and descends to winding Silver Creek at the forest floor.
Project
Developing the North Gateway will bring more campsites to the park and increase campsite inventory to the statewide park system. Improvements include:
- North Gateway campground and restroom/shower facilities.
- Infrastructure improvements such as water, electrical, and sewer systems, as well as relocation of the current RV dump station.
- North Gateway Visitor Center.
- New North Canyon trailhead and parking lot, which will help parking congestion in the South Falls and Winter Falls parking areas.
Short-term visitor impacts
No dump station available through mid-2023.
Milestones
- Construction contract awarded for paving and trailhead project.
- Wetland delineation report completed.
- RV dump station construction underway.
Next Steps
2023
- January-June: Paving North Canyon day-use parking.
- March-October: North Gateway tree thinning.
2024
- Design and site preparation for campground construction.
- Interior work on the North Gateway Visitor Center.
2025
- April: Begin campground construction.
The current general obligation bond estimate is $10-12 million.
Last updated February 2023. Additional updates as information becomes available.