Silver Falls State Park

Trail of Ten Falls: 7 miles, moderate
When Ben and I visited Oregon last September, visiting Silver Falls made us realize how eager we were to move out here. The trail is gorgeous, even before you hike past the falls (five of them are more than 100 feet tall). We like to start out on the Rim Trail, which winds underneath giant, mossy trees that make you feel as if you've shrunk down to bug-size. You first catch a glimpse of North Falls from a distance through the trees -- and then eventually find yourself behind it on a narrow trail that circles the inside of a cavern. Today, the trail was much less slick than before, which I appreciated since I have a (I like to think healthy) fear of slick rock above bottomless drops.
From then on, it's a pleasant wander through the steep-walled canyon, with waterfalls hidden around every bend of Silver Creek. We found an abundance of wildflowers and river otter tracks and slides. At the very end of the hike, taking a break on a bench above South Falls, we were trying to ID a bird when we saw a river otter scurry across the trail behind it, about 100 feet below us. Awesome!