Twin Falls
King County,
Washington
Overview
Twin Falls is a relatively moderate hike close to Seattle that provides an opportunity to see an amazing waterfall. There are actually three falls, however the star of the show and what everyone refers to as Twin Falls is the 135 foot waterfall that plunges straight into a large pool. The hike will afford a couple of different viewpoints of the falls, including a wooden platform that hangs precariously over a cliff, and side trails leading down to the river below the falls. The trail continues past the main attraction, and there is a scenic wooden bridge crossing the river, with views of the upper cascades. If one desires, the hike can be extended by following this trail further up the river.
Directions
Parking
Trip Reports
I was unsure what the weather would bring this weekend, but upon waking up on Saturday, saw a decent weather forecast around Twin Falls in the morning, and we decided to head out and try our luck. A little bit of rain in Seattle right before jumping in the car can’t dissuade us, and we were rewarded by partly sunny skies. The parking lot was filling up quickly, and was completely full by the time we were done with the hike, but we were able to get a spot.
The trail starts out relatively easy, following the river. While there are numerous rocks and roots along the trails, it stays flat for the first ¾ of a mile. There were numerous spots to venture off the trail for a better view of the South Fork Snoqualmie River, but we opted to keep hiking and make some progress.
There’s a lot to look at on the hike in addition to the River. Numerous large trees covered in moss, various types of ferns and lots of other plants. It had been a dry summer, but the forest was very lush, probably helped by the recent rains.
We reached a large sloping rock on the right side of the trail, and my son quickly climbed atop the rock and walked up to the high point. After a couple of photos, I joined him on the rock - it was a cool vantage point to survey the trail and the forest.
Shortly after the rock, the trail begins to climb a little. It’s not a large amount of elevation gain, but my six year old son was ready for a quick rest and food at the top of the hill. The uphill also didn’t tire him out enough to play on some fallen logs!
There was some more uphill, with some switchbacks involved, as well as downhill. We were now a ways off the river, although you could hear the river the entire trip. There was only one of two points in the hike where you could hear cars along I-90, and the sound was somewhat obscured by the river. At one point we passed a huge tree along the trail. A photo didn’t do it justice, so I had my go down and stand next to the tree for perspective.
Then it was on to the second uphill push and after a while we reached a junction where the trail headed down stairs to the right towards a lookout of the Twin Falls. We opted to continue straight along the main trail and head to the Twin Falls Bridge. At the bridge we took in the views. Up river there is a nice small waterfall, and on the other side you can see the pool of Twin Falls far below, giving you a sense of the size of the falls.
After the Twin Falls Bridge we ventured back to the trail junction and walked the steep steps down. The lookout platform for the Twin Falls is essentially perched on the side of a cliff and provides a great view of the falls. Fortunately we had the platform to ourselves and took in the view. While there were a decent number of folks on the trail that day, it never felt too crowded, and we were able to get some moments to ourselves.
We continued on the trail back towards the car, and found a place below the falls to venture off the trail and eat lunch on some rocks next to the river. We had a fantastic view of the falls, and could see people walking across the Twin Falls Bridge. After relaxing by the river and finishing our lunch, we hit the trail and made our way back to the car. Time to get home and watch the Seahawks play!
Our final stats were 3.17 miles and 712ft of elevation gain. Twin Falls is a great hike, with amazing views of the waterfall and great places to sit next to the river. Great hike for the family, just be aware there are some steeper sections to hike up and down, so I wouldn't classify it as a super easy hike. But it's worth the effort!
