Silver Falls State Park Trail Party

Crew Leader: Arthur Mills

Hike Distance: 1 mile

Elevation Gain: -150 feet

Hike Difficulty: Moderate

Work Difficulty: Moderate

Due to heightened safety policies and procedures that we are adhering to during the COVID-19 pandemic, trail party events are currently only open to volunteers who have accumulated 25 or more trail parties with TKO (volunteer days with WTA, PCTA or other trail orgs will be considered as well) and/or are in an Assistant Crew Leader/ Crew Leader position within TKO. Thank you for understanding.

If you are interested in supporting our work in the meantime, the best thing you can do to help out is make a donation at trailkeepersoforegon.org/donate. Oregon’s trails thank you!

Project Overview:

Decommissioning a user trail to a dangerous over look.

Hiking information:

The hike is down in to the canyon by South Falls. The initial part of the trail is moderately steep, very active, wet under and around the falls, rocky in many areas.

What to expect:

Prior to this event, you will be asked to watch a short orientation about our COVID-19 safety procedures and participate in a pre-party Zoom meeting with the rest of the crew. This is a chance for the group to get to know each other and go over the safety and work expectations for the day. You must also sign the TKO e-waiver and complete a personal health screening before attending this event. Details and links will be provided after you register.

You should expect to participate in this work party for its entirety. For safety reasons, please do not arrive late or expect to be able to leave early.

The goal is to decommison a user trail by lower south fails. We will be moving brush and various debris possiblely logs to hide and discourage hikers from using this trail. It leads to a very hazardous area. The ranger considers this a priority.

What to bring:

• Lunch
• Plenty of water
• Snacks
• Personal hygiene kit – must include a face mask/covering, hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes and work gloves (loaner gloves available if you do not have your own).

What to wear:

• Boots (Please wear something sturdy that will protect your toes from sharp tools. No tennis shoes allowed!)
• Work gloves (loaner gloves available)
• Long sleeved shirts and pants.
• Rain gear as appropriate for the weather
• TKO will supply hard hats and safety glasses

Directions:

Silver Falls South Falls parking lot is off Hwy 214 (Silver Falls Hwy) GPS 44.877271 -122.654739

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: TKO recognizes that the trails we work on travel through the traditional lands of many Indigenous tribes. From 1853 – 1871 in every corner of what we now call Oregon, these people were forced to cede their land, their home, to the US government . We are privileged to be here today & express gratitude to the descendants of these tribes for being the original stewards of the land.

PERSONAL SAFETY: Your physical & emotional safety is our number one priority. If a person’s actions or comments make you feel uncomfortable/unsafe – interrupt directly, tell a crew leader &/or complete a post-event survey.

EQUITY & INCLUSION: TKO seeks to make Oregon’s trails a place where people can go to connect with nature & one another. Not everyone feels safe & welcome in the outdoors due to racism, bias & hate. We commit to being part of the solution to change that. Conduct, speech, or expressions that target individuals or groups will not be tolerated by TKO, regardless of whether they are based on age, citizenship, disability, ethnicity, gender identity/expression, geographic origin, language, marital status, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.