Oregon's largest state park, Silver Falls, 26 miles east of Salem on Hwy 214, is an easy day trip from Portland, Salem and Eugene. It offers camping, swimming, picnicking and bicycle and horseback riding. Best of all are the hikes, the most famous being the Trail of Ten Falls Loop , a relatively easy 8-mile loop that winds up a basalt canyon through thick forests filled with ferns, moss and wildflowers. Featured on this hike are 10 waterfalls, several of which you can walk behind. A few roadside trailheads access this hike, but the most services are at the South Falls day-use area, the park's main entrance.
