Enjoying Nature: My Recent Trip to Silver Creek Falls

A summertime picture of the South Falls

To my readers in the mid-Willamette Valley (where I live), going to Silver Creek Falls and taking pictures has almost become cliché. Many of us have forgotten, or at least have become accustomed to the natural awe and wonder awaiting the visitor at Silver Creek Falls State Park which is roughly 25 miles from Salem, Oregon's capital city. 

However, to the outsider; someone not acquainted with the wild awesomeness of the Willamette Valley, this state park encompassing over 9,000 acres of temperature rainforest is practically one of the natural wonders of the world. The park has a national recreation trail including ten impressive and majestic waterfalls which will give the hiker over eight miles of tread on their boots by the time they see them all. The park also has a campground that runs year round.

I have been going to Silver Creek Falls since I was a wee lad and I probably went as a baby, before I can remember. The house I grew up in was only 16 miles away from Silver Creek Falls, and even my parents have been going there for decades before I was born. I have many happy memories here and hope I have many more to come. 

I think it's important to get out and enjoy God's green earth, especially to places where it is difficult to get cellular phone service or access to the internet. I'm not saying that being "connected" is a bad thing. It's actually become quite a modern convenience. However, it is refreshing, occasionally, to get away from the settled parts of civilization and live in the moment and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you right then and there. It can be with friends, family or even by yourself that you experience nature deeply and fully. Remember to take some deep breaths of that fresh air away from the city. Breathing deeply is proven to slow your heart rate and help you relax and get the stress level down. If you're in a place like Silver Creek Falls, you're breathing in all that fresh air from the trees' photosynthetic processes. So if you're in the middle of a lush, green area; breathe deep. 

Another view of the South Falls

The trails at Silver Creek Falls provide a decent hike and the South Falls trail is a taxing hike for the average person, IE: someone who is not in tip-top shape. Many people go on just the South Falls trail, which is teeming with visitors during periods of warm weather. If you want to get away from people at Silver Creek Falls 1. Go in cold or rainy weather, 2. Go closer to park closing time (9:00 PM) or 3. Hike past the South Falls Trail.

It's green here year-round

How do you like to interact with nature? What is your favorite place to go when you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city? I hope that each of you will plan to enjoy nature more often and intentionally after reading today's blog article. Give me feedback in the comments below. 

Another incredible view of the South Falls

If you need to relax or kill stress on the weekend, try enjoying nature without electronics for at least a couple of hours. I'm serious about the no electronics thing. I once got to a point where the ring or text tones of my cell would stress me out. 

Any questions?

What would you like to see more of on this blog? How can I encourage you to be an 'extraordinaire'?

Straight-on close-up of the South Falls