Lower South Falls is a 93-foot curtain waterfall on South Silver Creek in Silver Falls State Park, Marion County, Oregon. The Canyon Trail, the route of the park's Trail of Ten Falls, runs through the recess behind it, and a 2.6-mile loop links it with South Falls.
The falls
South Silver Creek sheets out over a broad, even ledge of basalt in a single 93-foot drop. The curtain averages about 45 feet wide and reaches 55 feet at high water. Unlike many falls that narrow to a ribbon in summer, it keeps its sheet form at low flow, taking on a delicate appearance.
Getting there
Start at the South Falls Day-use Area. The walk downstream along the Canyon Trail takes about 45 minutes. A 2.6-mile loop continues past the falls and returns on the Maple Ridge Trail, including a 400-foot climb back to the day-use area, on paved and natural surfaces with stairs.
Parking in Silver Falls State Park costs $10 per vehicle for Oregon residents and $12 for nonresidents in 2026; Oregon state park passes and camping receipts are accepted. Gates open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. in September, with shorter hours from October through March.
When to go
The creek flows year-round. November through May offers the best time for flow.
On site
The trail passes behind the falls through a low, cramped overhang edged by a stone wall, and at low water visitors can walk behind it without getting wet. The stairs down to the falls get slick when wet. The park closes the water within 300 feet above and below its waterfalls, so wading and swimming at the pool are not allowed, and pets are banned on both the Canyon and Maple Ridge trails.
In January 2014 a railing near Lower South Falls gave way and a child was injured; a lawsuit filed afterward alleged a fall of about 60 feet. Stay on the trail side of the railings.
History and name
Photographer June Drake named the falls in the late 1880s for their position downstream of South Falls.
Nearby
Frenchie Falls is about 0.3 mile away, South Falls is 0.5 mile upstream on South Silver Creek, Crag Falls is 0.6 mile on Silver Creek, and Drake Falls is 0.8 mile away on North Silver Creek.
Distances are straight-line.