Avalanche Danger: People seem unaware that, right at the falls, there is an avalanche chute. Yesterday, signs of loose snow were clearly visible and the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) rated avalanche danger as "Considerable." Checking the avalanche forecast before venturing down would be wise. https://www.nwac.us/. However, up to this point, the entire hike can be enjoyed without fear of avalanches.
First, the road leading to the Denny Creek Campground is closed, about three miles from the Franklin Falls trailhead, so this is an 8-mile round trip snowshoe.
Parking: Just off exit 47, the roads became very snowy and icy. Some sort of traction was required (snow tires, chains, etc.). However, as I approached the place where the road was closed, the snow became very deep and quite a few cars had difficulty traversing it: I saw three cars get high-centered (two Subaru's and one Honda) as they did not have adequate clearance. They all needed help from other kind folks in order to get unstuck. Vehicles other than trucks and SUV's were best parked 1/4 mile (or more) from where the road was closed off.
The trail had a very clear snowshoe path the entire length, with a handful of minor obstacles, all off which were easy enough to walk around - for the most part. There were about a half-dozen fallen trees and a few spots as I approached the falls where the trail had eroded down the hillside and the remaining snow did not provide great support for a person, making it a little tricky to cross, but not particularly dangerous. There were quite a few places where folks without snowshoes had post-holed up to their knees (or deeper), making for some spots where ankles could be twisted - even with snowshoes.
Expect crowds, unless you are really early. I arrived at about 8:00 and was the seventh or eight vehicle there. When I returned, in the early afternoon, there must have been over 100 cars parked in the area. My return trip from the falls certainly felt the crowds: We must have stepped off the trail 50 times as we came across other hikers.
Comments