The Oregon Garden is a stunning botanical garden encompassing over 80 acres and featuring more than 20 specialty gardens showcasing the diverse botanical beauty of the Willamette Valley and the Pacific Northwest. Regretfully, the Oregon Garden has experienced the same staff shortage as is occurring most everywhere. Consequently, the beds had not been weeded, cultivated, or replanted. There were a few butterflies flitting about, but not settling down for photographs.

The next stop on today’s itinerary was Silver Falls State Park, Oregon’s largest at over 9,000 acres. We hike the South Falls and Maple Ridge Loop Trail, compiling a distance of 4.6 miles with 633 feet of elevation gain. The trail and surrounding environs were stunning as trees were well into their changing colors. Two waterfalls highlighted the hike: Lower South Falls and South Falls. The park’s most visited waterfall is South Falls, a 177-foot cascade. The trail behind both falls offered unique perspectives.

We returned to Oregon Garden Resort to overnight.