Silverton City of the Falls

This mural, located at the Main Street bridge, was painted by artist Lori L Rodrigues in 1998. From this location, a winding 15 mile drive south through the foothills will take you to Silver Falls State Park. The temperate rainforest encompasses ten scenic waterfalls—the creation of volcanic lava flows and glacial floods. From the falls, Silver Creek carries the watershed to the Pudding River on its way to the Pacific. With this tributary connection, Silverton, nestled in the valley below, has long been known as the City of the Falls. 

Establishment of the park primarily came from the vision and dedication of one man. June Drake, an early Silverton resident and commercial photographer, had trails cut in order to transport his heavy bellows camera and glass plate negatives. He compiled a set of black and white images known as The Silver Creek Falls Group. Completed in 1916, those images gradually helped gain support for preserving the land, and in 1933 the park was dedicated. Since then, it has grown to become Oregon’s largest State Park.