Sometimes a change in scenery — if only for a day — is refreshing.

Because we have so much here in Central Oregon, it’s tempting to stay around home, exploring new spots that ring familiar or revisiting old ones that wear like an old flannel shirt.

But Oregon is a remarkable state. Head west from Bend, and you soon leave the desert high and dry for the lush rainforests on the far side of the mountains.

Silver Falls State Park is a fine place to rehydrate.

Once considered for national park status, Silver Falls is 8,700 acres of verdant forest filled with west-side trees, dank grottoes and super-sized waterfalls on fast-moving Silver Creek.

First stop for most visitors is usually the historic South Falls Lodge, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration as a restaurant.

But it’s outside that holds the real allure.

You can bite off a big chunk or go for the low-impact gusto. One of the most spectacular falls in the park is 177-foot South Falls in the canyon right below the lodge. A loop trail takes visitors behind the falls and back across a bridge spanning the creek. Don’t forget to pack your camera.

In all, there are 10 significant and accessible falls in the park, ranging from 30-foot-high Lower North Falls to the 178-foot Double Falls. You can hike a half-mile down from the main park road and see 134-foot Winter Falls or go for the whole enchilada the 8.7-mile Trail of Ten Falls. The latter is a designated National Recreation Trail, which means it offers some spectacular scenery and an opportunity to more than walk off that big lunch.

The canyon of Silver Creek got its start 26 million years ago during the Oligocene period, when most of the state was an ocean, according to Oregon State Parks. When the salt water receded, lava flows covered the base of soft sandstone here. The erosion of the softer strata beneath the basaltic lip of the falls created coves behind the falls where people can walk.

Interestingly, while the creek crashes downstream, the waterfalls are actually marching upstream over time as the rushing water erodes the cliff.

There are several viewpoints peppered throughout the park, which is convenient for auto-bound travelers. The park also offers campgrounds, primitive cabins and horse rentals from May through September.

Hikers and mountain bikers benefit from more than 22 miles of trails.

If you approach Silver Falls State Park from the west, the little town of Silverton warrants a stroll. If you’re hungry, Chan’s Chinese restaurant downtown is highly regarded.

Although Silver Falls State Park is not too far from the population centers of the Willamette Valley, we still felt as if we’d discovered something special and serene along the lush banks of Silver Creek.

Which, in turn, made the drive back to Central Oregon a rediscovery of sorts. After all, there’s no place like home.

From Bend, take U.S. Highway 20 west through Sisters and state Route 22 toward Salem; near Sublimity, take state Route 214 to the park; it’s about a 2-1/2-hour one-way drive. Cost: A day-use pass is $3 per vehicle.

Contact: 503-873-4395.

— Jim Witty