By Sailor Hill The owners of the popular Silverton taphouse Silver Falls Brewery have opened a second location, the Barrel House in Eugene in the former Tap & Growler space. Eric Druliner co-owns Silver Falls Brewery with his business partner, Andrew Fox. The pair began brewing out of Druliner’s garage in 2015 and later expanded in 2019 to their current […]
By Stephen Floyd Iconic local business Silver Falls Country Store has burned down after suddenly catching fire during the early hours of Feb. 16. No one was injured, however, the building at 172 Silver Falls Drive was a total loss. Chief Brandon Hamilton with the Drakes Crossing Fire District said crews were called around 1:05 a.m. and when they arrived […]
By James Day A pair of free guided hikes in the recently upgraded North Canyon area of Silver Falls State Park are on tap for New Year’s Day. The hikes are part of Oregon State park’s annual tradition of waiving parking permit fees on the year’s first day at all state parks that require them. A total of 31 Oregon […]
By James Day A new subdivision is taking shape in the hills above Silverton on the road to Silver Falls State Park. Although it should be noted that the definition of a subdivision in rural county acreage is vastly different from what one would expect off of Eureka Drive or at the intersection of James and Jefferson. The DeSantis Ridge […]
By James Day Silver Falls State Park has unveiled new trail links and visitors amenities at its North Canyon day-use area. Using funds from state general obligation bonds aimed at improving parks and campgrounds, Silver Falls has added a new parking lot, restrooms, an information kiosk and permit pay station as well as a new trail that links the area […]
By James Day The tree climbing operation at Silver Falls State Park has expanded its offerings and now features tree camping. Leo Roden-Fischer, the entrepreneur who founded Tree Climbing at Silver Falls two years ago, notes “our half-day tree climbing adventures are amazing and unforgettable like people say in our 5-star reviews, but tree camping is on an entirely different […]
By Melissa Wagoner The current trajectory of the invasion of the emerald ash borer (EAB)– a wood boring pest known for its decimation of the ash trees on the East Coast of the United States since its introduction in 2002 – leaves little hope for the future of Oregon’s mature ash trees. “I think that folks believe that eventually EAB will kill […]
By Melissa Wagoner Autumn Kuenzi has battled depression and anxiety her entire life, but when her first child was born eight years ago, that battle raged at a whole new level. “I got postpartum depression and anxiety,” Kuenzi recalled. “And I just couldn’t sit with it. So, I made the decision to take control of it.” Which meant, along with […]
By James Day The annual Mother’s Day Birding and Wildflower Festival is set for Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14 at Silver Falls State Park. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days and is scheduled to coincide with World Migratory Bird Day. Silver Falls State Park officials said in a press release that the event […]
If you’ve visited Silver Falls and stopped by the Nature Store or gotten some fun facts at a discovery table, you’ve seen the Friends of Silver Falls State Park volunteers and staff in action. Friends of Silver Falls State Park is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the historic and natural resources of Silver Falls State Park. Members work alongside […]
Pianist Hunter Noack brings back his “In A Landscape: Classical Music in the Wild” performances to Silver Falls State Park on July 5 and 6. In its eighth season, the outdoor concert series allows America’s most stunning landscapes to replace the traditional concert hall. A nine-foot Steinway grand piano travels on a flatbed trailer to National Parks, urban greenspaces, working […]
By Melissa Wagoner One of the many benefits to visiting one of Oregon’s 108 State Parks is that most are off the beaten track. But that can also make those visitors driving electric vehicles (EVs) a little bit nervous. “Older EVs, especially the used EVs on the market today, have much lower distance ranges,” Jo Niehaus – an Oregon Parks […]
By James Day The City of Silverton is considering a proposal that could add a 22-space recreational vehicle parking area on land just north of Mark Twain Elementary School. The 1.52-acre, triangular-shaped site, if the project is approved, would be used for temporary lodging for RVs and movable accessory dwellings. Approval of the project does not require Silverton City Council […]
By James Day Public use of state parks continues to rebound from the pandemic, a new state report shows, with camping visits at Silver Falls approaching pre-COVID levels. Overall, Oregon State Parks experienced its second busiest camping and day-use year in history in 2022, the report says. Visitors logged 2.97 million camper nights, just 1.8 percent less than the record-breaking […]
A Silverton-area mountain biking club is getting ready for a fourth season and is looking for new riders to become members. The Silver Falls MTB started in 2020 and focuses on riders in grades 6-12. The club started with 12 riders and was at 22 last season. Club members practice Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. starting in […]
The annual guided first day of the year hikes will be held at Silver Falls State Park and nearly 20 other parks Jan. 1. The outings are led by rangers, and the $5 parking fee that most state parks charge will be waived. Oregon State Parks has been holding the hikes since 2012 in an effort to promote exercise and […]
There’s a celebration of the winter season at Silver Falls State Park Dec. 10 and 11. Everyone is invited to join park staff and volunteers in the Silver Falls Winter Festival for activities that highlight the seasonal changes at the park. In the South Falls day-use area you can: • Make a wreath at the Evergreen Picnic Shelter • Build […]
By Melissa Wagoner A stroll through Mount Angel or Silverton can feel like a walk through the past – if you know where to look. Kennedy High, the Mount Angel Abbey, Coolidge McClaine Park, even Silver Creek – all of these landmarks are rooted in the past, their stories are sometimes obscured but not forgotten by the men and women […]
By James Day At Silver Falls State Park you can spend a lot of time looking down. Down the trail, down the canyon, down the creek and definitely, down at the waterfall. But what happens if you look up and keep looking up. There is a whole new world in the tree canopy, and now there is a way to […]
By Brenna Wiegand Paul’la Allen used to accompany her husband Jack to the cemeteries where he conducted graveside services. Jack Allen, a mortician and owner of Pearson-Allen-Caldwell Funeral Home in Portland, traveled around to small community cemeteries where headstones go back hundreds of years. Paul’la and young daughter Julie were never bored on these trips. “While Jack was doing the […]
By Melissa Wagoner Hunter Noack is an award winning and incredibly accomplished classical pianist but he’s also an avid outdoorsman who spent his childhood in Sunriver hunting, fishing and kayaking with his family. The problem – the two don’t really mesh. If you play the guitar, you can take it outside, Noack’s mother, Lori, said. But a piano isn’t nearly […]
By Melissa Wagoner Char Hawkins has been managing snack bars for 23 years but her newest venture, the South Falls Café, located inside the South Falls Lodge at Silver Falls State Park, surpasses all the rest – especially when it comes to ambiance. “It’s beautiful out here,” Hawkins confirmed. “The fresh air, trees and birds. I leave my stress behind […]
By Melissa Wagoner Susan Ransom’s enthusiasm for Silver Falls State Park is palpable. Get her talking about the waterfalls and the people who visit them and she is all smiles. “What’s not to love?” she asked. “The beauty, the peace, the stillness – most people can’t even use their phones up here.” A native of California, Ransom has yearned to […]
The history of the area that is now Silver Falls State Park will be celebrated July 8 and 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the South Falls Historic District at the Historic Silver Falls Days. On Saturday, there will be Model T and Model A antique cars; demonstrations of antique logging tools; flint knapping; spinning wheel demonstrations; families participating […]
The elves at Silver Falls State Park are getting ready for the 39th Annual Christmas Festival! This holiday tradition has a change this year. The event will be one day only. It will be on Saturday, Dec. 10, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the South Falls Historic District. Rangers, hosts, and volunteers transform the park’s Historic District into a […]
