When we heard that there was a trail near us that featured not one, not five but TEN, count ’em, TEN waterfalls, we nearly jumped out of our skin in anticipation. The rain had been steady for a week or so and we were reasonably confident that the falls would be raging- Silver Falls did not disappoint us in any way.

It was a misty, foggy Sunday when we made our first trip to this fantastic state park. Being late fall there was a crispness to the air and the trees, with their fiery shades of red, orange and yellow, seemed to be screaming “take a photo of me!”. The air was damp, and the sky was grey. It was a great day for a hike.

We took the “Rim Trail” from the South lot which gave us the first view of the South Falls from a distance away. Even from this far off it was still a magnificent sight. I know it’s hard to believe, but we could hear the rumble of water from here. Water is a powerful thing!

Did I mention those colors?

We continued on the path around the river and came across a lot of people, a few bridges, and lots of jaw dropping views.

Then, we came to Middle North Falls:

The best part about this is that you walk directly behind the falls, like some kind of animated jungle animal from a Disney movie. The opening behind the falls was relatively dry and roaring with the power of water. We both got a little emotional about the whole thing.

We decided to loop back since we were at a loop point- We could save the rest for another trip. However, this hike wasn’t done with us yet.

We passed a couple of minor falls that were beautiful in their own right, and trees so bright they made the saturation slider in Lightroom cry a little. Then, out of nowhere, the roar of another 100 foot plus waterfall started to tickle our ears.

We came around a bend and this hijacked our eyes:

Again, this waterfall had a cave under it. However, this cave was MASSIVE, and there was even a bench behind the falls set up in the perfect spot for reflection. The defining roar demanded that we stay in the moment, and seemed to wash away any distractions as soon as they entered our heads.

As we spent a few deafeningly quiet moments under this massively beautiful natural firework, we realized that, for just this moment, we were complete. And that alone made the trip worth it.