The perfect way to go chasing waterfalls.

Byline: THE OUTSIDER By John Rezell The Register-Guard

S ince I have little regard for maps, I approached South Falls from the northwest, reverse of your typical route.

Having lost count of the number of amazing waterfalls along the Canyon Trail in Silver Falls State Park, I assumed that this Mother Nature E-ticket ride gently rolled back into the station, so I dropped my guard for a moment and began winding down, preparing to remove my seat belt.

Then, POW!

South Falls, in all its 177-foot glory, rained down from the lofty canyon rim, nearly taking my breath away. As I stood in wide-eyed wonder thinking it just doesn't get any better than this, I noticed the trail circle behind the falls. Nirvana.

What amazes me more than anything is that in my time here in Oregon - three months shy of two years - no more than a couple people have mentioned Silver Falls.

Just a 90-minute drive from Eugene, 26 miles east of Salem, it's not only Oregon's largest state park but, in my humble estimation, possibly the greatest one-day outdoor adventure a family could have.

Sure, you can spend a week at Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, and not run out of things to see. But in today's short-attention-span theater way of life, nothing carries the wallop of Silver Falls' Canyon Trail.

That said, trust me on this one: Do the Canyon Trail in reverse. Don't make South Falls that first stop. Save it for dessert, like you would boysenberry pie a la mode from Beckies.

We pretty much stumbled upon that gem of a strategy. We got to the park only to find out that dogs aren't allowed on the magnificent Canyon Trail. Only the Rim Trail. So we took Ridgely out and began hiking.

From Parking lot A, the first 1.6 miles of the Rim Canyon doubles as the Canyon Trail. If you start by heading directly to South Falls from the lot, the 1.6-mile waterfall-less section of the Rim Trail would be the final leg home. In essence, boring and anticlimactic.

By the time we reached Winter Falls - having viewed North Falls from across the valley - we knew it was time to break up the party and hit the Canyon Trail. We did so. The girls headed down to the 136-foot North Falls, and the walkie-talkie crackled with excited ramblings when they ventured behind that waterfall.

They checked out Twin Falls and rejoined me on the Canyon Trail at Winter Falls. They took Ridgely back along the Rim Trail, while I humped around the Canyon Trail.

The variety of falls is mind-boggling. If you like them thick and wide, Middle North Falls and Lower South Falls serve up a five-star treat. If you like them thin and narrow, North Falls and South Falls likewise earn top ratings.

Keeping the map in my pocket, I thought for certain that Lower South Falls was the end of the line. The trip behind that massive wall of water really lifts you into another world.

It's a hefty hike up from Lower South Falls. I counted 189 steps to get you back up out of the canyon. And once you're back along the South Fork Silver Creek, it feels like the perfect coast to the end. Until South Falls pops out of nowhere.

A quick call on the walkie-talkies summoned the girls back on trail, sans Ridgely, to take in the wonder. The great part of this park is that you can divvy up the trails into manageable sections for most kids, and have a stellar payoff for them.

Or, you can soak in the entire show.

John Rezell, aka Raz, is looking for summer adventures to share with his daughters. Invite the family out with you at [e-mail].