Silver Falls

Beginning in downtown Coos Bay, follow Highway 101 south to the signed turn for Eastside, Coos River and Golden and Silver Falls State Park (Newport Avenue). Bear left here (straight, while Highway 101 bends to the right), and continue through Eastside onto Coos River Road, following signs toward the town of Allegany and the park - signs point the way at all major junctions. About 22.5 miles from Highway 101 is a large gravel turnaround area with a sign indicating parking for Golden and Silver Falls. This is overflow parking - you can continue along the road for another half-mile to a gate which blocks further progress toward the park. If parking is not available adjacent to the gate (do not block it), then return to the large parking area and walk the road from there. The park is found at the end of the road, 1.5 miles from the overflow parking area and about nine-tenths of a mile from the gate. From the old parking lot at the picnic area and outhouse, follow the far-left trail indicated towards Silver Falls for another quarter of a mile to views of the falls. The base can be reached but as of our last visit there were a couple large toppled trees that need to be climbed over, and the trail near the base of the falls is very muddy and slick when wet.Silver Falls is the secondary attraction within the uncreatively named Golden and Silver Falls State Park, east of Coos Bay, and is among the tallest waterfalls found in the Coast Range of Oregon. Tiny Silver Creek produces the falls as it veils over a very uniquely bulbous protrusion in the cliff, and plunges a sheer 223 feet, then cascades another 36 feet down an angled shelf into a narrow ravine below - the lower cascade is mostly hidden from view by the surrounding brush however. Silver Creek has a comparatively much smaller drainage basin then Golden Falls' Glenn Creek, so the dry season has a much more pronounced effect on Silver Falls. In the spring the full volume of the creek will spread across the rounded bulb of the cliff fairly evenly, producing a surprisingly broad waterfall (considering the relatively small volume of the creek), but come the summer the stream is reduced to just a trickle and is easily dashed away in the faintest of breezes. In a drought summer it may be possible for the falls to run entirely dry (this would likely be a very rare and short-lived occurrence if so, however). As of May of 2016, the road leading to Golden and Silver Falls State Park was damaged and was not drive-able to its end. It is not known whether the road will be repaired, and signs along the route suggest the closure may be permanent. The closed road adds as much as an additional 1.5 miles of easy walking to reach the falls, depending on where parking is available.While neighboring Golden Falls was indeed named after an individual bearing the name Golden, it is thought that Silver Falls was named in juxtaposition to its sibling rather than for any specific individual.