Franklin Falls - easy Snoqualmie Pass river hike

In December & January, I tried taking Jake to Franklin Falls, but the forest service road getting there was too iced over for safe passage.  However, after checking out some recent field reports I thought I'd give it a try again.  This week, it was amazing!  The road was clear and we had a great time on this easy and scenic hike. 

The small parking lot was surprisingly full for a Friday afternoon in February, but we secured the 2nd to last spot.  From the lot, we took the small wooden bridge over a small stream and headed on our way.

Immediately, we were greeted by the bubbling South Fork Snoqualmie River, which we followed up to Franklin Falls.  For the first quarter mile or so, the trail hugs the river, and we periodically left the trail to walk on the rocks or throw rocks in the river, which is always fun for Jake.

Because this trail is so close to Seattle and so popular, it's in fantastic shape.  The trail is well groomed, well graded, and the crushed gravel path meant it was mud free, even though it rained the entire time.

One thing to note is that there are no restroom facilities of any kind at the trailhead.  However, about a quarter mile past the Franklin Falls trailhead is the Denny Creek trailhead, which does have some sanican facilities.  If someone in your party may need to go at some point in the hike, it is recommended to use the facilities at Denny Creek trailhead first.

Anyway, After about a quarter mile or so, the trail continue following the river, but up a pretty steep bank so direct river access was lost for a bit.  However, the amazing river views never stopped!

 

In addition to following the river, the trail also follows along Forest Service Road 58, otherwise known as NF-58.  About halfway into the hike, the road pretty much touched the trail!
 
While most of the trail is easy & well-groomed, the last minute or two down to the base of the falls is a little dangerous.  The crushed gravel path gives way to jagged, angled rocks, which were quite pretty slippery in the rain.  I had one hand on Jake and one hand on the wall, so I didn't get any photos that really show the condition.  Fortunately, Jake is a fantastic hiker, and when I say "safety first" he parrots it back & knows to mind without question so I felt safe enough to go to the base of the falls with him.

Once we got to the bottom, we felt windy cool mist everywhere.  In the picture below, the people are running on a little rocky island surrounded by the very cold river.  It wasn't too deep, so I didn't mind wading in my sneakers & jeans, while carrying Jake, so that we could get to the center.  It was chilly, but once Jake put his warm wolf hat on he felt much better.

 

 

 

BEFORE YOU GO
1. NW Forest Recreation Pass - Before going, make sure you have a NW Forest Recreation Pass.  There is no way to buy one on-site, and due to the popularity, the lot is patrolled.  You can print out a one-day pass for $5 here: http://www.discovernw.org/store_national-forest-recreation-epass-national-forests-in-washington-and-oregon-only_20281.html
2. Trip reports - Check out the Washington Trails Association page for info.  Scroll to the bottom to see recent trip reports: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/franklin-falls.  There are no restroom facilities at the Franklin Falls trailhead, but there is a sanican at the Denny Creek trailhead, a quarter mile down the road.  The Denny Creek Trail is also family-friendly.  Since the areas are so close, you may be interested in checking out recent Denny Creek trail reports too.  This can be particularly helpful if you're trying to gauge road or bug conditions and there aren't any really recent reports for Franklin Falls: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/denny-creek
3. What to bring - This changes with the seasons, but for the winter & early spring, bring layers, gloves, and some TP in addition to snacks & water.  On some trails I have us wear rain boots, if I know it'll be muddy.  Sometimes I make sure we have lace-up boots, if I know we'll be on uneven terrain.  Because the last minute or two of this hike is over slick rocks, I think that having shoes with good traction, like sneakers, is the best option (or good hiking boots with traction if you have them.) Also, because you may or may not have to wade into a small river at the base of the falls, I recommend packing a change of dry socks & pants for the car ride home.
4. Cell service available - Since this is right off of I-90, cell service is generally available.  It's always a good idea to have a map downloaded to your phone before you go, just in case.

GETTING THERE
Map: http://binged.it/1voCaAO
1. From Seattle, take I-90 East
2. Take exit 47 for Denny Creek & Asahel Curtis. 
3. At the end of the off-ramp, turn LEFT.  Note the brown sign with the left arrow for Denny Creek Rd.
4. After crossing over I-90, you'll come to a T in the road.  Turn RIGHT towards Franklin Falls Trail.
5. After crossing under westbound I-90, take your first LEFT towards Franklin Falls Trail.
6. Continue 2.3 miles.  When you see the sign for Denny Creek Campground, you're getting close, but continue on.
7. Just past Denny Creek Campground, your GPS will show a road that juts off to the left.  Unfortunately, there isn't a sign here that says "Franklin Falls Trailhead", although there really should be.  Instead, you'll see brown signs that say "58" and "Snoqualmie Pass Denny Creek Tr. 1014."  Even though there's no sign for Franklin Falls, take a LEFT here.  You end up in the middle of the small lot for the Franklin Falls Trailhead. 

8. If you drive over the bridge, you'll end up at the Denny Creek Trail trailhead, where there is a sanican.

9. Parking was pretty full on a rainy Friday afternoon in February.  I imagine that parking would be really scarce on a nice weekend.  Some options for if the Franklin Falls lot is full:

 a. The Denny Creek Trail trailhead lot is also relatively small, but it's possible a space will be available there if the Franklin Falls trailhead lot is full.  It's only about .2 miles down the road, so it is within easy walking distance.
 b. There may be parking near the Denny Creek Campground - either in the campground (when it's open for the season) or along the side of the road year-round.
 c. If you stay on 58 and continue up towards Snoqualmie Pass, there are two shortcuts that meet back up with the Franklin Falls trail.  This could be handy for parking alternatives.  It also could be handy to make this a super quick hike!  This is a narrow road with limited places with a shoulder wide enough to turn around, though.  Also, the snow line covered the road just beyond the waterfall on February 19, 2015, so be cautious if you drive on NF-58 beyond the Franklin Falls lot.

Here's a map showing the parking lots and the secret shortcuts:

From the road, this is what the 1st shortcut looks like to the trail.  You can easily see the stairs.

From the road, this is what the 2nd shortcut looks like, just .1 miles from the falls.  It's at a bend in the big S curve and may not be easy to see if you're not looking for it.  There are a couple of places nearby where the shoulder is wide enough for a car or two.



Detailed trail map: