Horse riders and campers at Oregon’s Silver Falls State Park will find miles of trails meandering throughout the forest.

The Buck Mountain Loop Trail is an 8 mile loop through dense conifer forest. While it does not offer vistas, it does offer attractive surroundings and the quiet gurgle of streams. Because the trail is dirt (easy on hooves), it is widely used by equestrians. Dirt trails, however, turn to mud during the area’s rainy winters. Equestrians have trail right of way, so keep an eye out for them. Also, stop and speak when you see equine riders, whether approached from the front or behind. Starting from the loop’s north side, from the Cutoff Trail, the trail ascends gradually for about 3 miles. After crossing a wood bridge the trail climbs to a ridge top where it levels out for about 2 1/2 miles before descending a steep slope down from the ridge. This slope can be muddy when the rest of the trail is dry. Once at the bottom the trail levels out again and continues a pleasant 2 1/2 miles back to the Cutoff Trail..