Denny Creek

Made the mistake of trying this hike over a holiday weekend, and unfortunately it was super crowded- like going to the mall, only with less parking. We ended up being glad the parking near the trail head was full, because hikers trying to leave were experiencing some difficulty backing out with the steady stream of hikers and cars looking for parking. We found parking on the road outside Denny Creek campground.

Denny Creek is a fantastic family hike. The trail in is a steady incline, so depending on speed it's a good workout. My kids, ages 7 and 4, were able to handle it. There's a nice bridge crossing the creek early in the hike- keep little hikers from running ahead to it because there is an unguarded drop just to the right as you step on the bridge. Along the way you'll cross under I-90, which is surprisingly a trip highlight. This is the portion of road held near the tree tops by great, cylindrical columns. Continue up, up, up until you reach the natural water slide. The creek here runs long over the smooth, gently inclined rock face. There is plenty of room, which is a good thing, because there was quite a crowd present. You could enjoy the creek with your family for hours, in fact there was a multi-family cookout in progress while we were there.