Lower South Falls
Oregon · 92-foot drop · Silver Falls State Park · Last verified 2026-05-15
Lower South Falls is at 977 cfs of flow today, on the upper end of typical conditions.
Expect dry conditions today — don't drive out for this one. Flow is at 953 cfs (bottom 0% of the last 30 days, vs. 1,176.6 cfs average). The 7-day NOAA forecast shows no significant rain.
Right now
Streamflow
977 cfs
NORTH SANTIAM RIVER AT · 21m ago
Overnight
55°F
Mostly Clear
Tuesday
74°F
Mostly Sunny then Patchy Smoke
Today's daylight
Sunrise 5:51 AM · Sunset 8:42 PM · 14h 51m
Snapshot built 8m ago. Sources: USGS · NWS PQR.
Lower South Falls is a waterfall in Marion County, Oregon. It drops roughly 92 feet. Access details and conditions have not yet been verified in person by Fallspots — the data on this page comes from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.
Lower South Falls sits in Marion County, Oregon. The falls are inside Silver Falls State Park. The base sits at roughly 1,178 feet of elevation. Drive time is about 11 minutes from Sublimity. A trail — Canyon Trail — runs within 0 meters of the marked location. No public parking is recorded within 2 km, so a longer approach is likely. It draws modest visitor attention — busier weekends, quiet weekdays. Source records come from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.
Entry is free. Dogs on leash are welcome on the access trail. The approach is short and gentle enough for young kids.
Is the water flowing right now?
Most waterfall sites don't tell you this. The waterfall itself is almost never gauged, but a USGS streamgage in the same watershed can tell you whether snowmelt has started, peaked, or run dry.
USGS gage 14183000 · 7 mi away
NORTH SANTIAM RIVER AT MEHAMA, OR
View live discharge data →
30-day streamflow
Below 30-day average↻ Same date last year: 1,010 cfs · 94% of last year — similar
Compare to nearby falls
If this one isn't the right fit, here's how it stacks up against the closest documented falls. Every column is filterable on the site — not buried in 13,000 reviews.
| Waterfall | Distance | Height | Trail | Dogs | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower South Falls (this page) | — | 92 ft | — | Y | Free |
| Frenchie Falls | 0 mi | — | — | Y | Free |
| South Falls | 0 mi | 177 ft | — | Y | Free |
| Drake Falls | 1 mi | 26 ft | — | Y | Free |
| Lower North Falls | 1 mi | 30 ft | — | Y | Free |
| Middle North Falls | 1 mi | 105 ft | — | Y | Free |
Related waterfalls
Similar height (~92 ft)
- Abiqua Falls92 ft
- Factory Falls92 ft
- Havasu Falls92 ft
- Marymere Falls92 ft
- Meditation Falls92 ft
Questions visitors ask about Lower South Falls
Answers built from our structured data. If a question isn't here, the fact is unverified — we'd rather omit than guess.
How tall is Lower South Falls?
Lower South Falls is 92 feet (28 m) tall. Height is sourced from OSM.
Is Lower South Falls in a national or state park?
Yes — Lower South Falls is inside Silver Falls State Park. We inferred this from OpenStreetMap protected-area polygons; if you find we got the boundary wrong, please report it. See the park page for fees, hours, and current conditions.
Can I bring my dog to Lower South Falls?
Yes — dogs are allowed (Silver Falls State Park permits leashed dogs in most areas). Inferred from park type; check the official site for trail-specific restrictions. Always leash and pack out waste.
Is there a fee to visit Lower South Falls?
No entrance fee. Silver Falls State Park is free to access. Some trailheads may charge a parking fee separately.
How far is Lower South Falls from a major city?
Lower South Falls is 8 miles from Sublimity (about 11 minutes' drive).
More waterfalls in Oregon
Where it is
44.8856, -122.6612
Sources and live status
Where we got the data, and where to check current conditions before you drive.
Last verified by Fallspots: 2026-05-15
Been there?
Marina and Theo verify pages one road trip at a time. If you've been to Lower South Falls recently, your local knowledge improves the page for everyone. Pick the kind of contribution that fits — every email lands in our inbox and gets read (and credited when we publish).
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