Trip Reports

This is my second trip to Franklin Falls. Absolutely love this falls. One of my favorites along I-90. The hike is real easy and we were able to see too many groups with kids. This is a must see for anyone who is living around Seattle area.

For pictures please visit desihiker.blogspot.com

Our M's group of 12 arrived for a late-start hike and found the Franklin Falls and Denny Creek parking lots completely full. After some creative parking, we hit the Denny Creek trail and enjoyed the great weather for a short hike to the ""water slide"" about a mile in. Then we headed back for Franklin Falls and a return via the Wagon Road trail.

All of the trails are in great shape, though there were a few muddy spots. Crowds were pretty light for a sunny Saturday, but I'll bet it was standing room only at Melakwa Lake!

We saw a WTA work party hard at work on the first 1/8th-mile of the Franklin Falls trail. Outstanding work by all involved! I can tell you from personal experience that my mother found that first rocky, rooty section particularly difficult -- so much so that she bagged the hike and stayed behind last summer!

This is a great hike to do with young children - short (2 miles round-trip), gentle grade, and a nice pay-out at the end. Our not quite two year old almost made it to the falls before asking for the backpack.

The trail is sandwiched between the two directions of I-90 on the west side of Snoqualmie Pass, though we only heard and saw the freeway intermittently. Unfortunately, you do see the towering westbound span at Franklin Falls.

The trail is almost 100% families with young children, so a few words of warning. The last few yards to the gravel bar below the falls is slick rock - I can only imagine how slippery it would be when wet. Most children will need assistance here. Also, bring long sleeves and even pants if you want to linger at the falls. The spray is quite cool, and the sun doesn't reach the falls until quite late in the day. We left at 11am, and it was still nowhere near. Visitors wearing shorts and t-shirts appeared very cold.

Hiked out from Denny Creek Campground in the late afternoon (4:00ish).

No bugs to get in our faces, so that was a definite plus!

The trail is pretty easy, but there were a few blown-down trees that made following the path a bit tricky.

Most of the trees in the way have to be gone over, rather than around, so children or people with disabilities may want to take extra care while climbing over them.

The path gets a little muddy in some places, but nothing deep or dangerous.

There is a low spot early-on in the trail where part of it has been washed-out by Denny Creek. The trail dips down and you have to ""hop"" over the water to the other side where it starts to go back uphill again.

At the falls, the rocks are wet and can be slippery, SO BE CAREFUL,

but we didn't find them to be too difficult to walk on.

Right now, Franklin Falls is just roaring with all the water cascading down from the mountains.

Be sure to keep your camera close and to dry it off after taking pictures. There's a LOT of water spray the closer you get to the falls. (so if you wear glasses, like me, be sure to dry them when you hike back out of the rocks or it might be difficult to see where you're stepping)

Right now, there were lots of Trilliums in bloom, but they don't last long. Go see them while you can!

There weren't a lot of people on the trail when we went, but I suspect it'll get busier as the weather improves.

The falls were beautiful and the weather great this weekend! The trail still had lots of snow pack, and it was a bit of a scramble over the downed trees, but the falls were worth it in the end.

We wanted some easy, scenic hiking on this relatively warm and sunny Thursday. My folks are visiting from Arizona and didn’t pack any hiking boots, so I knew we would have to keep it simple. We checked out the maps and guidebooks and made up a “Snoqualmie Rambler”, made a picnic lunch, and headed out.

Asahel Curtis Nature Trail: This lollipop loop of less than a mile is a signed interpretive trail, and you should find pamphlets in a box at the trailhead that will tell you what you’re seeing at various points along the trail. (Consider returning yours for the next visitor.) This is a great example of old-growth forest, with skyscraper trees and a trail of duff carpet. There are also several benches to sit and take in the sights and smells. Unfortunately, the sounds come mostly from the interstate traffic. I recall from hiking the Annette Lake trail last year that there is a newer bridge crossing Humpback Creek less than a quarter-mile up -- you may consider adding this short trip before or after the nature trail.

Gold Creek Pond: This trail is paved over it’s entire 1-mile length around Gold Creek Pond. We thought we saw signs of beetle infestation on the hillsides, but it must have been larches, at about 75% of their full autumn color. From the parking lot, follow the trail a short distance to a junction, and go left for a nice open area with plenty of picnic tables (some with grills), or right to loop around and get your exercise in first. Interpretive signs inform you that the pond was formerly a borrow pit which provided much of the sand and gravel that originally went into the roadbeds of I-90 near Snoqualmie Pass.

Franklin Falls/Wagon Road: We had done this two-mile trip with other family members in July -- what a difference a couple of dry months makes! Spots where our kids had swum up to their shoulders were now ankle-deep, and the falls, while still impressive, had only a fraction of its powerful roar and let in too much interstate noise. Both trails are in fine condition, but there are a couple of muddy spots on the Wagon Road trail.



We were pleasantly surprised to see several people out on a weekday to enjoy these “hikes”. An ice cream break in North Bend gave us strength for the drive home, made even longer by an accident near WA 18 and I-5 that had us doubling back and taking I-405. I’m not sure if we saved any time in the end, but it was better than sitting at a dead stop on a 4-lane road!

Franklin Falls Trip Report

On Friday I hiked to Franklin Falls, off of I-90. My trip partners were my son Gabriel, 4, and my daughter Annika, 3 months. We went with 5 other moms and 12 other children. This was the biggest turnout I have ever had for one of my hiking club hikes! We sort of split into two groups, since some of the kids were older and faster than those of us with younger children and babies.

The day started out cloudy and cool, and we even drove through a little mist on our way up to the pass. I was relieved to see that we were not in the clouds at the trailhead, and hoped that the sun would burn through for the afternoon.

We started our hike around 10:40. We parked at the westernmost trailhead, just after the Denny Creek Campground. I was so happy that the trail was beautiful! I was worried about it being so close to I-90 and the Denny Creek Campground. There are some huge old cedars and firs along the path, and scenic views of the creek down below. The noise from the freeway is not too bad; I’ve been on noisier hikes. The trail follows the creek the entire way. There were some portions that had steep drop-offs to the creek, where we had to hold the little ones’ hands. The worst part was the last few hundred feet down to the base of the falls, where the trail is a narrow rock ledge right above the rushing creek. Everyone negotiated it successfully, though, and gratefully rested and had lunch on the rocks below the waterfall.

It was cold and breezy at the base of the falls, and we bundled up while we ate. Eventually the sun came out of the clouds and over the trees, and we allowed the kids to wade in the water. They were covered in goose bumps, and one child fell in and got all wet, but they all enjoyed their time throwing rocks and getting their feet wet.

After about an hour and a half, we packed our stuff up and made the trip back up the ledge to the forested trail. Up was easier than down, and felt safer. I would not want to try to negotiate that part of the trail when it was wet. The sun was out for real now, and it was quite pleasant for hiking. We made one other stop along the way, when we were almost to the cars, to play by the stream and have another snack and some water. By this time, the younger kids were starting to lose it, getting whiny and tripping over every root or rock. We had to tempt them with our extra special stash of M&Ms and various other treats that are normally forbidden but make good bribes for hiking. Everyone made it back safely, and we made it home by 5.

I am so happy to have beautiful places like this that are easily accessible and kid friendly. It is worth it to make the extra effort to get out of town into real forest. I can still get my dose of wilderness while introducing my kids to the joys of hiking and being in nature. Franklin Falls is a lovely trail; take some time to enjoy it some day!

We car camped with family at Denny Creek to take in TrailsFest (another great year, thanks, WTA!), do some hiking, practice fly fishing, play cutthroat Scrabble, and tend the campfire into the wee hours. But for the hot weather, and an overly obnoxious campground host who seemed to threaten everyone with a $50 fine for the smallest infraction, it was a very good weekend.

After TrailsFest, we returned to camp, applied more sunscreen, and took the short connector trial from the campground to the Franklin Falls trailhead. Parking is a major issue this time of year, since the Franklin Falls, Wagon Road and Denny Creek/Malakwa Lake trails all start from here.



The Franklin Falls trail is in very good condition, but there were some rooty spots. We sampled the huckleberries and salmon berries (the former were better), and enjoyed the forest and wildflower walk. When we arrived at the falls, the temperature seemed to drop twenty degrees, and we took in the spray and soaked our clothes. The kids were more adventurous than the adults, of course, and while we snacked and rehydrated, they crawled over logs to swim in the deep spots of the creek leading from the falls.

We took the Wagon Road Trail on the way back. This is a lesser-maintained trail, but still a very nice walk through a mature forest. There are interpretive trail number signs, but we did not have a guide, so we made up our own stories. It’s the same distance and gain as the Franklin Falls trail, but it seems much less steep. There’s an interesting marker at the beginning of the trail in the form of a half-buried rusty wagon wheel.

The Denny Creek trail is still partially snow-covered but I had no problems finding my way to Denny Creek Slippery Slab. The snow begins shortly before it enters the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and is solid from that point on. Lots of other hikers have been up there in recent days so there is an easy track to follow in the snow. The snow was firm and not prone to post-holing, a relief. This is a relatively easy hike, only about 2.5 miles round trip with 500 feet elevation gain. Near the trailhead is a dark, tea-colored pool with a floating island of moss/vegetation where skunk cabbage has taken root. A very pretty scene but hard to photograph. It is near an old boardwalk. While it is not news that rivers are jumping their banks on the east side of the mountains the water wasn't running as swiftly or as deeply here as one might imagine. There's plenty of water in Denny Creek but there's still enough snow in place to keep it from melting too quickly. Beyond the bridge it appears to be mostly solid snow. Yellow violets are out and Devil's Club is starting to leaf out. There are still trillums here and there. The road to the trailhead is snow-free with just a few melting patches of snow at the trailhead.

I left the car at the Denny Creek trailhead and walked 1/4 mile down the road to the Franklin Falls trailhead. The Franklin Falls trail is only a mile one-way with slightly over 100 feet elevation gain. It's slow going not because it is difficult but because it is so scenic. There's one short stretch where the river has taken the trail back but it is easy to bypass that -- just step around it on soft duff. No problem. The South Fork of the Snoqualmie had plenty of water in it but again, it didn't seem to be flooding. A lot of trail work has taken place since my last visit including railings to help people stay on the trail and not wander off trail for that dramatic photo of waterfalls that are not that easily seen from the trail. Even without the railings, there are side trails I spotted I would never be tempted to explore, not even for a world-class photo. You lose your footing here, you also lose your life. There are a few snow patches on the trail but those are melting fast. The path down to the base of the waterfall is in much better condition than it used to be -- with the exception of the high water. You can't actually get down to the river here. Be content with the view just before you get to that slippery downsloping rock near the base of the falls. Spray from the waterfall makes it difficult to get photos but who cares? It was just lovely to be there.

After that I drove over to the Asasel Curtis Nature Trail and hiked that one, too. The trail will be rededicated on June 3rd -- a lot of work has gone into this project by the Forest Service, WTA and other volunteers. It looks like there is still a bit of work to be done before the Grand Opening but all in all, it looks good. One time I hiked that trail with friends and as there were no interpretive signs to accompany the numbered posts we made up the most likely subjects matter at the numbered sites. ""Nurse log"" for example. I also hiked the half-mile link to the Denny Creek Picnic Area. Near the other end of the trail (the picnic area) is a mossy stone memorial for Asasel Curtis. Nice to find this -- didn't know it was there. Lots of new vegetation leafing out all along these trails -- vanilla leaf, false-lily-of-the-valley, trilliums and violets. Most of the skunk cabbage have passed their prime, at least on this trail.

All in all I figure I hiked about 7 miles and gained just under 1,000 feet of elevation gain. This was nice lonesome hiking and covered a variety of pretty scenery.

Karen Sykes

Today was a somewhat lazy day for me, and since the weather man (who predicted rain that didn't happen...) scared my husband, it was an 'easy hike day'. Franklin Falls turned out to be a lovely destination.

Trail is in great shape, and there are still some huckleberries to be had within easy reach. While there were quite a few folks on the trail, it was still a nice walk. : )

The Snoqualmie Wagon Wheel Trail has many large logs across it. There are also some brushy spots. The Franklin Falls Trail is clear of obstructions. Canadian dogwood and queen's cup were in flower. Sky was clear with moderate temperatures.

We started from the upper trailhead (1/4 mile to the falls from there) where the trail was dry. Soon we encountered a large patch of snow but easily found the snow-free trail on the other side. Rocks around the falls were wet but not slippery and no one fell into the churning cauldron below the falls, but anyone who got within 100 yards of Franklin falls (looked more like Franklin water jet) became soaking wet. No problem though, because a 1/2 mile drive up the road brought us to some sunny rocks just below the interstate where we were all soon dry but sweating while eating dinner.

Just checking out the area on my way elsewhere. I didn't actually go all the way to falls. The trail was muddy and had quite a bit of standing water, but then it was raining while I was there. Surprising number of people considering the weather.

It was such a nice afternoon, I just sit around all day, so I trundled up to Snoqualmie Pass to finish off a roll of film and stroll out to Franklin Falls. Those of you looking for a good photo subject, the falls are about as perfect as they can get right now, and the bushes around the I-90 bridge are turning colors (the problem is keeping the 90 bridge OUT of the frame, not easy). The river is as low as I've ever seen it, so you can almost get a head-on view of the falls without gettin' yer feet wet. The trail has seen some recent work too, in very good condition, though I still would like to see stairs over the last rocky descent to the falls. No bugs, no traffic, no complaints.

Here's a couple of short hikes easily accessible for everybody. Both hikes start near the Denny Creek campground. Took the Denny Creek up to the slippery slab. Had fun climbing over the granite. Water flow was quite low but not unexpected for this time of year. Took the Wagon Road trail up to Franklin Falls. This was the site for one of the original roads over Snoqualmie Pass. The falls were quite nice. Took the falls trail along the river back to the trail head which was very nice. Saw some WTA volunteers doing some work. Thanks for the effort. This trail looks like quite a bit of work has been done. Both parking lots were packed when we returned. Amazing to think that these trails are actually in the median of a major interstate highway!

Not a long hike but very nice views of creek and of falls at the end. Alot of down trees made it difficult on many parts of the trail, especially on the Wagon Trail return route to where it is almost inaccessable at times (especally with a baby in a pack and a dog in tow).

This is the forest; Alpine Lakes, Washington; I work here; I carry a badge; do do do do do-o-o-o The Denny Creek Trailhead parking lot has up to three feet of snow; so it goes without saying that the parking lot is still inaccessible. There is patchy snow covering the trail right out of the trailhead, with continuous snow above 2600 feet. Denny Creek is running very fast and high at the bathing rocks - crossing is not recommended. There is limited parking at the Franklin Falls trailhead and the trail is covered with snow patches up to three feet in depth. There are many windfalls on both trails.

The road is blocked at the one lane bridge by a good sized drift. The road beyond has about a foot of old snow with five or six inches of new on top that. The whole length of the trail has about two to three feet of snow on it. I've never been up the trail before but was able to follow the route fairly easily. I didn't use snowshoes but if I had had some with me I would of used them.

This trail is nothing
more than a very short walk, although the falls are actually quite scenic. It was a nice day, damp and chilly in the woods though. The trail was quite wet, which was to be expected. No snow yet. I was surprised to see a large steel girder from the freeway construction in the basin at the base of the falls -- why wasnt that removed upon completion of construction' Despite the presence of the freeway above, the falls are still beautiful, and easily accessable for out-of-towners and people not able to hike distances.

Almost no one was there
and we had a great time despite quite a bit of mud on the trail. Some of the walkways were in need of repair and slipery when wet. However, the trip was more than worth it. If you're willing to step in the mud and watch your step, this very easy hike has a most beautiful reward at the end.

It was a wonderful day
for hiking. With the sun out and temperatures in the low 80's. Hiking through the trail you could see all different kinds of trees, such as the Western Red Cedar and even the Douglas Fir. You could hear the river flowing and the falls coming. The end of the trail, a spectacular view of Frankin Falls. The water was cool and perfect for wading. A total of 2+ miles roundtrip, the hike was definitely worth the time and effort.