Howard Creek Loop (and more) – 10/13/2025

After a rainy hike on Saturday I was happy to see that things were looking mostly dry for Monday’s holiday. Heather didn’t have the day off so I would be on my own. My original plan, before I had the weather forecast, was to head up to the Maxwell Butte Trail (post) in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness to check out the Lava Lakes Trail which I have been looking at since my Duffy Lake hike this past September (post). I nixed those plans when the forecast for that area still showed snow showers with temperatures just above freezing. That combination of cold and wet is not something I enjoy hiking in, so I turned to Plan B.

Today Plan B was revisiting Silver Falls State Park to cross some of the trails that I still hadn’t checked out in the park’s backcountry off my to-do list. My planned hike included portions of the Smith Creek Trail, Howard Creek Loop, Buck Mountain Loop, and the Cutoff Trail that were on that list. I had a tentative route in mind that would start at the 214 Trailhead and proceed as follows:

1)Take the 214 Trail to the Smith Creek Trail (0.9-miles)
2)Follow the Smith Creek Trail to the Rabbit Hole Trail junction (0.6-miles)
3)Continue on the Smith Creek Trail to a junction at the end of a road (0.7-miles)
4)Follow pointers to the Conference Center and then to Smith Creek Village (0.4-miles)
5)Pick up the Howard Creek Loop at Smith Creek Village and follow it to the Cutoff Trail (0.2-miles)
6)Hike up the Cutoff Trail to the Buck Mountain Loop (0.8-miles)
7)**Optional out-and-back** Go right on the Buck Mountain Loop to its junction with the Smith Creek Trail (1.2-miles round trip)
8)Follow the Buck Mountain Loop from the Cutoff Trail junction to the Howard Creek Loop (1.4-miles)
9)**Optional out-and-back** Go right at the junction, cross Howard Creek, and turn around at the next junction (0.2-miles round trip)
10)Take the Howard Creek Loop back to the Cutoff Trail junction (1.2-miles)
11)Go back through Smith Creek Village to pick up the continuation of the Howard Creek Loop (0.2-miles)
12)Hike north on the Howard Creek Loop to the 214 Trail (0.9-miles)
13)Take the 214 Trail to the Nature Trail (0.4-miles)
14)Turn right on the Nature Trail to the South Falls Campground (0.5-miles)
15)Walk through the campground to the Bike Path (0.2-miles)
16)Take the paved Bike Path to the overlook of South Falls (0.8-miles)
17)Pick up the Canyon Trail and hike behind South and Lower South Falls to the Maple Ridge Trail (1.3-miles)
18)Take the Maple Ridge Trail back to the South Falls Overlook (1 mile)
19)Take the Bike Path Back to the campground (0.8-miles)
20)Walk through the campground to the Ampitheater (0.2-miles)
21)Pick up the Nature Trail at the Ampitheater and finish the loop back to the 214 Trail (0.6-miles)
22)Take the 214 Trail back to the trailhead (1.4-miles)

If you think that is a lot to keep straight you’re not wrong. I made multiple mistakes starting at step 3 when I turned downhill off the Smith Creek Trail and went directly to Smith Creek Village. That connector was just 0.1-miles so it actually saved me nearly a mile. I lost some that saved distance when I went the wrong way on the Howard Creek Loop for 0.2-miles then went the wrong way again once I got back to Smith Creek Village. Those wrong ways added six tenths of a mile back to my day. I also added two tenths of a mile on step 20 by starting back on the Nature Trail in the wrong direction instead of going to the Ampitheater. Otherwise the route worked out well including the two optional out-and-backs (7 & 9) which were simply to hike sections of trail that I hadn’t before. When it was all said and done my GPS showed 15.4-miles and approximately 1800′ of cumulative elevation gain.

Dark blue is today’s track with the cyan being our track from this past August (post).

The orange portion represents the sections of trail that were new to me.

After that long winded introduction here are some of the sights from the hike.

There wasn’t a lot of light at 7:15am. It did however stop raining immediately after I put my rain jacket on at the car.

Backcountry information on the 214 Trail.

214 Trail

214 Trail

Smith Creek Trail to the right.

Evidence of the recent rain on the Smith Creek Trail.

Smith Creek Trail

This is step 3 where I had intended to stay on the Smith Creek Trail (straight), but I veered downhill to the left after misreading my map.

Had I taken the time to read the pointers I would have figured it out, but I probably would have still wound up taking the trail I did. We had hiked the section of the Smith Creek Trail in 2021 then turned up the Rabbit Hole Trail (post).

I realized what had happened after seeing that the trail was going to cross the road. Looking at the park map showed me I’d turned down a dotted line. Part of my confusion was that the map legend shows dotted lines being non-public maintenance roads which this was definitely not.

My next mistake came when I turned left following the Howard Creek Loop pointer. Even though I’d figured out where I was on the map the confusion had distracted me enough that I just saw the right name and an arrow and followed it. Luckily I pulled up the map again to double check before I’d gotten too far.

I walked through the empty parking lot at Smith Creek Village looking for the continuation of the Howard Creek Loop.

I turned right on a paved path which led me past a couple of little cabins to Smith Creek Village entrance road.

My next mistake came when I turned right along the entrance road. I was trying to look at the map while I was walking, and I was struggling getting my bearings. I got as far a large signboard across from the parking lot and the pointers on it helped me figure out exactly where I was on the map.

I went back toward the Office and picked up a paved trail passing in front of the restaurant which led to a footbridge over Howard Creek.

The Cutoff Trail heading uphill. The Howard Creek Loop continuation is behind me.

Cutoff Trail

Cutoff Trail

Cutoff Trail arriving at the Buck Mountain Loop.

As I mentioned I did wind up going right first on the Buck Mountain Loop for 0.6-miles then came back down to this junction and continued on the Buck Mountain Loop. (Step 7)

The Smith Creek Trail coming up from the right.

Turning around and heading back down from the junction.

Passing the Cutoff Trail junction. (Step 8)

Buck Mountain Loop

Buck Mountain Loop

Some blue sky!

Old turkey tails

If anyone knows the name for this let me know. I don’t recall ever seeing it before.

Buck Mountain Loop junction with the Howard Creek Loop.

Step 9, the optional 0.2-mile out-and-back over Howard Creek.

Howard Creek

The junction where I turned around. The Buck Mountain Loop goes right, and the Howard Creek Loop continues to the left.

Heading back toward Smith Creek Village on the Howard Creek Loop (Step 10).

It’s hard to see but there is a foam flower on the right that was still blooming.

Howard Creek Loop

Coming up on the junction with the Cutoff Trail.

Halloween decorations in Smith Creek Village.

Passing back through the Smith Creek Village parking area to pick up the Howard Creek Loop.

Howard Creek Loop

The Howard Creek Loop briefly followed the shoulder of the road to Smith Creek Village.

Smith Creek

The Howard Creek Loop and 214 Trail junction. The loop goes right over the footbridge while the 214 Trail crosses a road to the left.

214 Trail

214 Trail junction with the Nature Trail (Step 13).

Step 14 was going right on the Nature Trail.

Nature Trail

Vine maple

Mossy limbs

Howard Creek

Arriving at South Falls Campground.

Walking through the campground (Step 15).

Sign for the Bike Path.

Bike Path crossing Highway 214.

Bike Path

Pet exercise area

I actually left the Bike Path when it veered across the South Fork Silver Creek opting to stay on the paved paths on the west side of the creek.

Chipmunk

Robin

Yarrow

Evergreen Picnic Shelter

The paved path eventually crossed the creek just above South Falls.

The top of South Falls.

We skipped going behind the falls in August but not this time.

Heading toward Lower South Falls.

Behind Lower South Falls.

The Maple Ridge Trail junction.

We have only hiked the Maple Ridge Trail once before, and that was over 20 years ago. That was actually the outing that kindled our interest in hiking despite the fact that we were dying of heat/thirst as we trudged up the trail hoping to make it back to the South Falls area where we could get some water. We had been at a work picnic in the middle of Summer and decided afterwards to hike the trail, with no water. Stupid rookie mistake but we learned from it.

Switchback along the Maple Ridge Trail.

Back on the paved paths.

Bike Path arriving at the Highway 214 crossing.

As I was checking for vehicles I noticed a couple of deer on the shoulder. We find it kind of funny how we seem to see deer along roads or in neighborhoods far more often than on trail.

When I looked at the photos I noticed a third deer behind the one on the left.

Sign for the Ampitheatre at South Falls Campground (Step 20).

Steamy bridge along the Nature Trail (Step 21).

Finishing the Nature Trail loop.

Back on the 214 Trail (Step 22).

Wren

Passing the junction with the Smith Creek Trail from step 1.

Back at the 214 Trailhead.

This was a fun nice outing and another reminder of just how lucky we are to have this park so close to home. The waterfalls get all the attention, and rightly so, but the backcountry has some wonderful forest and so many options. I still have the Rackett Ridge and Roemer’s Meadow Trails left to cross of my list, so it looks like I’ll just have to head back there again. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Howard Creek Loop