How long is the Franklin Falls hike?

Franklin Falls is 2.5 miles round trip with about 410 feet of elevation gain. Most hikers finish in 1–1.5 hours. From the official trailhead below the main lot it is closer to 2 miles round trip.

Is Franklin Falls an easy hike?

Yes — it is one of the easiest waterfall hikes near Seattle and a good family outing. The trail is well maintained and mostly gentle. The last short descent to the falls is steep, rocky, and often wet and slippery, so watch kids on that stretch.

Do you need a pass to hike Franklin Falls?

A Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful pass is required to park at the Denny Creek / Franklin Falls lots. A Discover Pass is not valid here. The lots fill early on summer weekends — arrive before 9am or go on a weekday.

Where is the Franklin Falls trailhead?

From Seattle, take I-90 east to Exit 47 (Denny Creek / Tinkham Road). Cross over the freeway, follow Forest Service Road 9034, then Forest Road 5800 past Denny Creek Campground to the main parking lot on the right, about 45 minutes from Seattle.

Can you hike Franklin Falls in winter?

The falls run year-round, but the access road is not plowed in winter and the trail is often snow-covered and icy, especially on the final rock descent. Treat it as a snowshoe or microspike outing and check road conditions before you go.

Franklin Falls Hike: Easy 2.5-Mile Waterfall near Snoqualmie Pass

Why Go

Franklin Falls is an easy 2.5-mile hike (about 1–1.5 hours) with roughly 410 feet of elevation gain to a 70-foot waterfall near Snoqualmie Pass, about 45 minutes from Seattle via I-90 Exit 47. A Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful pass is required to park. The trail follows the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River through old-growth forest and ends with a short, steep, often slippery rock-cut descent to the falls. The main lot fills fast on weekends, and the last couple hundred feet get congested. The falls run year-round; in winter the access road is not plowed and the trail is snow-covered and treacherous.

From the main parking lot, locate the bulletin board and follow the gravel trail down, taking a left at the trail junction (right will take you on the Wagon Road Trail). Cross the road, walk past the bathrooms to find the trailhead and the official start of the trail, which at this point, is a 2 mile round trip. Follow the well maintained trail through the forest along the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River, and at the end of the trail descend down a short, steep and often slippery trail cut through rock to the base of the falls. During the summer when the water volumes of the falls are not as high, but still very impressive, you will find ample space to move around by the falls, while in the spring space is limited.

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Getting There

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Directions

Heading east on I-90 from Seattle, take exit 47 Denny Creek/Tinkham Road. From the exit ramp, turn left and cross over the freeway, and then turn right onto Forest Service Road 9034. Proceed 0.2 miles under the interstate and turn left onto Forest Road 5800. Proceed 2.9 miles and a short distance past the Denny Creek Campground you will find the main parking lot on your right.

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Parking

There are a small number of handicap spots available at the Franklin Falls trailhead. The main parking lot is just past the trailhead on the right. Both parking lots require a Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful pass, and while the main parking lot is large, it can fill up quickly on busy days. Note, this parking lot serves other trails, including Denny Creek and Wagon Road trails.

Back to Franklin Falls

I rediscovered this old favorite after four years away, finding the parking lot mercifully quiet on a beautiful weekday morning.

calendar_today May 25, 2023

straighten 2.7 miles, roundtrip · 410 ft gain

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Franklin Falls was one of the first hikes I did after moving to Washington State 20 plus years ago, and it had been at least 4 years since I had done the hike. I figured it was a perfect short hike to do to break up the drive home to Manson from Seattle. There were probably 10 cars in the parking lot when I showed up, not as many as I was expecting. Granted it was morning on a weekday, but the weather was beautiful and I know this hike is a popular one. I made my way down to the end of the lot and started on the gravel path towards the trailhead.

Gravel trail to Franklin Falls trail head

I don't recall the Wagon Road trail being here the last time I visited, but maybe the signage is just more prominent now. I'll have to check it out next time, as it could make for an interesting loop rather than staying on Franklin Falls trail on the way back. I'd also forgotten there were cabins alongside the riverbank at the start of the trail. Pretty scenic place to have a cabin!

Cabin on the South Fork of the Snoqaulmie River

Much like my hike to Bridal Veil Falls a couple of days earlier, it was nice being on the west side of the Cascades with the lush green forest, and the sound from the river drowned out any noise from the nearby I-90.There were a couple of muddy spots to navigate in the trail, but otherwise it was a peaceful hike.

Muddy section on the Franklin Falls trail

South Fork of the Snoqualmie River

I only encountered a couple of groups along the way, and before I knew it, I was at the final descent down to Franklin Falls. Fortunately, there was no one else on the trail and it was easy to get down to the falls. My previous visit had been with my four year old son on a busy weekend, and it took quite a bit of time to get both down and up the rocky section, as it was slippery and there were numerous folks coming both ways.

There was quite a bit of water in the pools around the falls with a lot less space to maneuver than the previous times I had been here. I managed to hop across some rocks so I could get on level ground and get closer to the falls. As I got closer, there was a significant amount of spray hitting me, and it was difficult to get a good picture with my lens getting covered in mist. The falls were impressive as always, and I still marvel at the fact that I-90 is almost right above you, yet any noise is drowned out by the falls.

Franklin Falls

Closer up to Franklin Falls

The hike out was uneventful, passing a couple more groups along the way. It was the perfect hike, with nice weather, beautiful river and falls, and not many people. I came to find out later that they are doing construction on the trail and it will be closed for a good part of the summer. Looks like I hit the trail at just the right time.