I had hoped to do a bit more hiking since our last adventure to Franklin Falls, but life got in the way. Between family visits, play time for the girls with friends, daily needs and my attempts to get friends to hike with us on the trails, I just couldn’t get out. Finally, I was tired of putting things off, so last night I decided we were going for a hike no matter what.
Twin Falls, just like Franklin Falls, is off of the I-90 corridor west of Snoqualmie Pass. It’s a bit closer to home which makes it easy to hike and still get other things done in the afternoon.
Twins Falls can be accessed from two different points. You can hike in from the Homestead Valley Trailhead, hiking a portion of the Iron Horse Trail down to Twin Falls trail or you can start at the Twin Falls Trailhead off of the 468th Ave exit heading Eastbound on I-90. We chose the Twin Falls Trailhead start and it was worth it. Maybe next time we will try from the different approach!
As with Franklin Falls, we got an early start on a weekday to beat the crowds and the heat and it was worth it. When we arrived at the trailhead just before 9am there were a total of 4 cars in the large lot. Another girl arrived just as we did to do her trail run but once she took off, we were on our own.
The trail begins with walking flat and easy tread, following along the Snoqualmie River. The walk through the forest is gorgeous, especially in the morning light. The sunlight coming through the canopy was spectacular and perfect for photography. Who can resist the beautiful lighting! The day was going to be warm, as I could already feel the heat creeping in but the forest provided plenty of shade and cover for most of our journey.
The girls were having fun exploring along the first bit of this trail. Plenty of small spots to safely get close to the river and lots of rocks and boulders with funny shapes to look at. After we passed the huge boulder that supposedly looks like a turtle (this is according to the WTA hike description) the trail begins to climb and gets the heart pumping. The trail has been cut with plenty of good but not too annoying switchbacks to get you up the hill. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of our fabulous trail crews, people have chosen to create social paths through areas marked for rehabilitation just to avoid them. But I wont get on my soapbox about that, for now. Please stay on marked trails.
As you reach the top of the hill, you are rewarded with a beautiful spot to take in the views. There is a small bench here that allows you to take a break, relax and catch your first views of Twin Falls. Many people enjoy the falls from here and turn back but the girls and I wanted to see more. So we continued on. From this point the trail begins to descend again. About a quarter of a mile from the bench, there are two blow downs that have fallen across the trail. They are fairly close to one another but they are easy to climb over or crawl under. The girls easily made it under them and because I have short legs, I had to crawl under as well. It required removing my backpack but it was easy enough. Always makes for an interesting adventure!
The trail continues on, narrow at points and dusty because of the lack of rain so far this summer. However, the scenery was still just as beautiful and amazing. We discovered caterpillars, slugs, and a few other bugs along the way and the moss covered tress and boulders along with the different types and ferns and plants kept us visually busy. There is so much to observe and learn about on the trail!
After the blow downs, the trail continues to descend and narrow in some areas. Just when you think you are there, you start to ascend again using some small switchbacks. As we walked, we came across an unmarked junction on the trail. Its a spot that’s a tad confusing for those folks who may not have read up on the trail as its unmarked but pretty important. If you take the small junction, down several long sets of stairs, you reach a wood platform that overlooks the Snoqualmie River and gives you the view of Lower Falls that you’ve been waiting for. The platform tested my fear of heights a bit, but it wasn’t horrible. The view was worth it! The unique way the falls cascade down the rocks was breathtaking and definitely worth the trek back up the stairs to get on to the main trail again!
Lower Twin Falls
The stairs are a bit tough on the way back up, but we made it. I think the girls struggled a bit more mainly because some of the steps were huge and their short little legs had a hard time taking proper steps up but when the going got tough, my kids just crawled up the steps. You gotta do what you gotta do!
After the amazing view of Lower Falls, we continued on just a bit farther. The area between the upper and lower falls is full of small streams and creeks. My oldest said that one spot inparticular looked like it could be “Pixie Hollow” and I think I have to agree with her. Between the streams, ferns, trees and sunlight cascading through the canopy, it was pretty spectacular.
Before you know it, you arrive at a beautiful bridge that crosses over the Snoqualmie River just up from the brink of the lower falls. From here you get an amazing view of the upper falls and a perfect place to end your hike. You can continue from here and if you feel adventurous enough, you can hike all the way up to the alternate trailhead and back, but that’s a decent amount of miles. We stopped on the bridge and enjoyed the views before turning back the way we came.
Once again the girls were thrilled to accomplish what they did and you could tell by their conversation, they were loving every moment. Even after my oldest kiddos first “trail injury” (she slipped and scraped up her knee) they were in high spirits and already talking about our next hike, whatever that may be.
It makes me beam with pride to know that my children enjoy getting out with me on the trails. That they enjoy getting away from the screens and the hustle of every day life and learn to enjoy the big and little things around them. That arriving back to the trailhead covered in sweat and dust, tired and maybe a little sore, makes us completely happy. We live in a place where there is so much to offer in the way of beauty and I plan for them to see as much of it as they can. Happy Hiking!
XOXO Jocelyn
Twin Falls Trail Stats
Difficulty: Easy
Length: 2.6 miles Round Trip, Out and Back
Elevation Gain: 500 ft
Rating: 5 out of 5
Pavement to Trail 