Saturday August 22 / Silver Falls waterfall loop
HOOD™
HIKE
A public community waterfall hike on the Maple Ridge Loop at Silver Falls for first-timers, regular walkers, and anyone who wants good people, good views, and a different kind of Saturday.
Free to join / $10 day-use parking
08.22.26
Meet-up point
South Falls Day Use Area
Use GPS: 20024 Silver Falls Hwy SE, Sublimity, OR 97385. Park in the South Falls Day Use lot and meet by the South Falls Lodge. Roughly 1 hr 15 min from Portland, so leave early.
Open in Google MapsTiming
Meet-up
10:00 AM
Hike starts
10:30 AM
Route
Maple Ridge Loop (2.6 mi round-trip, ~400 ft gain)
After-party
Post-hike, we're grabbing food + drinks on the way back toward Silverton. Details TBD - RSVPs get the drop the day before. Pull up.
Maple Ridge Loop (2.6 mi round-trip, ~400 ft gain)
Bring water, trail shoes with grip, $10 for day-use parking, and good energy. First-timers are welcome.
Good people / good views / good energy
THE TRAILS WEREN'T
BUILT FOR US.
WE'RE TAKING
THEM ANYWAY.
Hood Hike is a public walk for anyone who wants to get outside with a solid group. No pressure, no performance, no hiking resume needed.
Year 1 / Pull up early / Grow with us
Join the hikeCDC movement target
minutes a week
Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Brisk walking counts.
Nature exposure
minutes in nature
A Scientific Reports study linked 120+ minutes a week in nature with better self-reported health and well-being.
Small changes add up
minutes more daily
CDC notes even 10 more minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous activity could make a measurable difference.
Sources: CDC Physical Activity Basics; White et al., Scientific Reports, 2019.
01 / Start together
THE HIKE
We move together at a steady pace. First-timers welcome. No hiking resume needed.
02 / Silver Falls waterfall loop
THE TRAIL
Mossy canyon, stairs cut into basalt, and a walk behind a 177-foot waterfall - the Maple Ridge Loop (2.6 mi round-trip, ~400 ft gain) is short, scenic, and still very much a real trail.
03 / Stay connected
THE GROUP
Bring water, comfortable shoes, and good energy. Come solo or bring a friend.
First-timer? Read this.
COMMON
QUESTIONS
Nothing fancy. We answer the stuff people actually ask before they show up.
I'm pulling upHow hard is it?+
The Maple Ridge Loop is about 2.6 miles with roughly 400 feet of gain, and it takes most groups 60-90 minutes. We're not doing the full Trail of Ten Falls, that one is 7.9 miles. This is the short version: down the Canyon Trail past South Falls and Lower South Falls, back up Maple Ridge. There are real stairs and the rock stays wet near the falls, but if you can walk for an hour and a half on uneven ground, you can do this.
What if I'm slow?+
We stay together. We've got hike leaders in the front, middle, and back so nobody gets lost or left behind. First-timers usually post up near the middle group — you're not slowing anyone down, you're keeping it real.
Where do I park?+
South Falls Day Use Area, 20024 Silver Falls Hwy SE, Sublimity. It's about an hour and 15 from Portland, so leave early. Oregon State Parks charges a day-use parking permit: $10 for Oregon plates, $12 out of state, and you buy it right there at the lot. The lot fills up on nice summer weekends, so get there before the 10:00 AM meetup, not at 10:00.
Bathrooms?+
Yes. There are real restrooms at the South Falls Day Use Area near the lodge, right where we meet. Handle it before we drop into the canyon, because there's nothing once you're down there.
What if it rains?+
We still hike. This is Oregon. What rain changes here is traction: the Canyon Trail has stone stairs and you walk directly behind two waterfalls, so the rock stays wet and slick even on dry days. Grippy shoes matter more than a rain jacket. If conditions actually look unsafe, we'll text the day-of call.
Can I bring my dog?+
Not on this one, and we hate it too. Oregon State Parks does not allow pets on the Canyon Trail or the Maple Ridge Trail, which is the exact loop we're walking. It's a hard rule, not a leash rule. There is an off-leash pet area in the South Falls Day Use lot, and dogs are fine on the Rim Trail, so if someone in your group is staying back with a dog they've still got something to do.
Can I bring my kid?+
Kids are welcome if they can handle 2.6 miles with stone stairs and wet rock near the falls. Strollers are not a fit for this route, there are too many stairs. Little ones who still need to be carried do fine in a pack.
What should I bring?+
Water, trail shoes or grippy sneakers, $10 for parking, a light layer, and your phone. You will get misted walking behind the falls, so nothing you'd hate getting damp.
Cell service on the trail?+
Spotty down in the canyon, fine up at the day use area. Tell someone you're going hiking. Standard outdoor move.
Built in Portland
By hikers who got tired of trails that didn't feel like home.
Outdoor culture that matches city culture. Good people, good views, no gatekeep. Pull up.
Free public hike / RSVP for updates
RSVP FOR
UPDATES
Drop your email and phone to lock in the Silver Falls updates. Add Instagram only if you have one.
Year 1 / Founding Crew
GROW WITH
US.
We're not a movement yet. We're a few people in Portland tired of trails that didn't feel like home. Pull up early and you're a founding member — not a hashtag. Year 1 we're Portland. After that, your city is next.
Drop your city + email. When we hit the road you're first on the list.