For those looking to get an early start to the day to see one of the many amazing waterfalls in the park, the camping in Silver Falls State Park is a great way to do that! This park can be super crowded (in the summertime in particular), and staying the night right in the park is one of the best ways you can get to experience these “landscape masterpieces” without tons of people enjoying the view at the same time.
There are options to stay in the park, but you can also camp near Silver Falls State Park. In this article, we put together all you need to know about camping in Silver Falls State Park, where to get supplies, how you can make reservations (and when), whether or not you can bring your pet and much more. Plus, we’ll cover some ideas for camping near Silver Falls State Park if you are not able to secure a campsite inside the park boundaries. Be sure to also check out our article on hiking in Silver Falls State Park as well as Things to Do in Silver Falls State Park!
SILVER FALLS STATE PARK CAMPGROUND: OVERVIEW
Silver Falls State Park is no secret-the park has some of the most amazing hiking of any state park in the country. So, it’s a good thing that there is a campground right in the park. The campground is located just south of the South Falls day use area, and is moderately-sized.
Since the park is busy, be sure to book your reservations well in advance to secure a campsite. If you can’t find one, keep checking back as cancellations do happen.
Map of the Silver Falls State Park campground location, courtesy of Oregon State Parks
SILVER FALLS STATE PARK CAMPING SUPPLIES
The park offers the ability to purchase firewood, but that’s it. If you are in need of groceries, the closest place to get them is in Stayton, OR. Stayton is about 25 minutes away and has a large grocery store as well as some restaurants. You can also continue west into Aumsville, OR for additional options.
If you need to pickup camping supplies, Salem, OR has a number of grocery stores as well as discount stores. It’s about 45 minutes to the west. While that’s a bit of a drive, your best bet is to stop here on the way to the park, as it’s right off Interstate 5.
SILVER FALLS STATE PARK CAMPGROUND: DETAILS AND CAMPGROUND MAP
Map of the Silver Falls State Park campground, courtesy of Oregon State Parks
Silver Falls State Park Campground
- Location: From Salem, take OR-22 E to Exit 7 for OR-214 toward Silver Falls State Park. Continue on OR-214 S for about 15 miles to the park entrance.
- Accessible via: Car and RV.
- Reservations: Reservations are available through reserveamarerica.com and can be made six months in advance.
- Capacity: 91 sites in two main loops. 14 cabins are also available.
- Electricity / Water Hookups / Dump Station: Yes / Yes / Yes.
- Toilets / Showers / Dishwashing station: Flush toilets with showers and dishwashing stations.
- Pets: Allowed but must be kept on a leash 6 feet or less. Be advised that pets are allowed in the park, but they are not allowed on the Trail of Ten Falls.
- Operating Season: The campground is open year-round, the number of sites goes down in the wintertime. Winter sites are only available for RVs.
- Quiet Hours: 10 pm to 7 am.
- Additional details: Each site has a fire grate and a picnic table. The campground offers great access to trails nearby, the facilities are well-maintained and you are going to be in a beautiful, forested setting. The campground does get very busy, and it’s not rare to have the campground booked in every site, day after day in the summer. Some of the sites are close together, so privacy can be a challenge. Also, beware that cell service is quite limited here.
- Nearby: The park is not that large, so pretty much anything in Silver Falls State Park is within a 15 minute drive of the campground. Rated by many to be the top thing to do in the park, the Trail of Ten Falls is only about 0.4-miles to the north of the campground and reachable via a bike path. There is also a Nature Trail nearby as well as the 214 Trail. If you have bikes, the 3.0-mile (approximate) bike path is a great option as well!
SILVER FALLS STATE PARK GROUP CAMPING
Group camping is available at Silver Falls State Park, but only for those who are camping with pack animals. One site is available for 24 people (and 12 horses).
BACKCOUNTRY CAMPING IN SILVER FALLS STATE PARK
There is no backcountry camping or primitive camping offered in Silver Falls State Park.
CAMPING NEAR SILVER FALLS STATE PARK
If you didn’t plan well in advance, then it’s likely that you won’t be able to find a spot to camp inside of Silver Falls State Park. Don’t worry, though! There are quite a few options nearby, both privately owned and some that are operated by the State of Oregon or the U.S. Forest Service. Here are just a few options that you may want to consider:
Shellburg Falls Campground
Map of the Shellburg Falls Recreation Area, courtesy of the Oregon Department of Forestry
- Location: The Shellburg Falls Campground is located in the Shellburg Falls Recreation Area in the Santiam State Forest. It’s about 11 miles from the central area of Silver Falls State Park. From Salem, take OR-22 E to Fern Ridge Road. Turn left onto Fern Ridge Road and continue for about 5 miles. Turn right onto Shellburg Road and follow the signs to the Shellburg Falls Trailhead.
- Accessible via: Car and RV. The road is gravel going into the campground.
- Reservations: Not available (first-come, first-served).
- Capacity: 4 drive-in campsites along with 3 walk-in tent sites.
- Electricity / Water Hookups / Dump Station: No / No / No.
- Toilets / Showers / Dishwashing station: Vault toilets with no showers nor dishwashing stations.
- Pets: Allowed but must be kept on a leash 6 feet or less.
- Operating Season: The campground is May through September.
- Quiet Hours: 10 pm to 7 am.
- Additional details: Each site has a fire grate and a picnic table. There is freshwater via a pump, so it’s advisable to bring in water on your own if you can. The proximity to great hiking is amazing, and it’s super peaceful here. It’s close by to Silver Falls as well, making it a great option if you don’t mind rustic camping. Additional information on Shellburg Falls Recreation Area
Milo McIver State Park Campground
- Location: The Milo McIver State Park Campground is located about an hour to the north of Silver Falls State Park. From Portland, take I-205 S to OR-224 E/Clackamas Hwy in Clackamas. Follow OR-224 E for about 15 miles, then turn right onto S Springwater Rd. Continue on S Springwater Rd for about 3 miles, then turn left onto S Entrance Rd to reach the park entrance.
- Accessible via: Car and RV.
- Reservations: Available year-round. Milo McIver State Park reservations.
- Capacity: 44 electric sites and 9 sites without hookups.
- Electricity / Water Hookups / Dump Station: Yes / Yes / Yes.
- Toilets / Showers / Dishwashing station: Flush toilets with showers and a dishwashing station.
- Pets: Allowed but must be kept on a leash 6 feet or less.
- Operating Season: The campground is all year, with winter camping limited to sites that are with hookups.
- Quiet Hours: 10 pm to 7 am.
- Additional details: In addition to a picnic table and a fire ring, you can also get firewood at the campground. There is also good access to hiking and a disc golf course! Additional information on the Milo McIver State Park.
Detroit Lake State Recreation Area Campground
Map of the Detroit Lake State Recreation Area Campground, courtesy of Oregon State Parks
- Location: The Detroit Lake State Recreation Area 50 minutes to the east of Silver Falls State Park. From Salem, take OR-22 E for about 46 miles. Turn right onto Detroit Ave, then turn left onto Clester Rd to reach the park entrance. The campground is located on the east side of the park.
- Accessible via: Car and RV.
- Reservations: Available year-round. Detroit Lake State Recreation Area campground reservations.
- Capacity: Over 300 sites in 8 different loops, some with full hookups, some with just electric and water and nearly 100 sites without any hookups.
- Electricity / Water Hookups / Dump Station: Yes / Yes / Yes.
- Toilets / Showers / Dishwashing station: Flush toilets with showers and a dishwashing station.
- Pets: Allowed but must be kept on a leash 6 feet or less.
- Operating Season: The campground is open all year.
- Quiet Hours: 10 pm to 7 am.
- Additional details: In addition to a picnic table and a fire ring, the campground offers great access to the lake for swimming and recreating. The facilities are great and well maintained. Since you are close to the lake, the summertime can be both busy at the campground and a bit noisy from boat traffic. Additional information on Detroit Lake State Recreation Area. Group camping is also available.
Silver Spur RV Park
- Location: The Silver Spur RV Park is located in Silverton, OR. This is about 30 minutes to the northwest of Silver Falls State Park. From Salem, take OR-213 N toward Silverton. Turn right onto Silverton Rd NE and continue for about 7 miles. The RV park will be on your left.
- Accessible via: Car and RV.
- Reservations: Available year-round. Silver Spur RV Park Reservations.
- Capacity: Over 100 sites in multiple loops.
- Electricity / Water Hookups / Dump Station: Yes / Yes / Yes.
- Toilets / Showers / Dishwashing station: Flush toilets with showers and a dishwashing station.
- Pets: Allowed but must be kept on a leash 6 feet or less.
- Operating Season: The campground is open all year.
- Quiet Hours: 10 pm to 8 am.
- Additional details: The park is great if you have an RV. The sites are very close together and paved. There is plenty of room for even the largest RV, but as they are so close, privacy is limited. The campground is located right near Silverton, with plenty of access to restaurants and shops.
FURTHER INFORMATION ON SILVER FALLS STATE PARK AND THE SURROUNDING AREA FROM JUST GO TRAVEL STUDIOS
- Ahead of your trip you will also want to check out our blog on Hiking in Silver Falls State Park as well as Things to Do in Silver Falls State Park!
- Be sure to check out our other blogs about other natural lands in Oregon, like Hiking in Crater Lake or information about Things to Do in Ecola State Park or Things to Do in Newberry National Volcanic Monument. We also have a great article on hiking the Misery Ridge Trail in Smith Rock State Park.
- When you return from your time in Oregon, send us a few photos and we’ll create a custom, vintage travel poster, personalized just for you!
