Franklin Falls is a 151-foot tiered waterfall on the South Fork Snoqualmie River in King County, Washington, tucked between the eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate 90 near Snoqualmie Pass. A short, family-friendly trail from Denny Creek leads to the pool at its base.
The falls
The river drops in three tiers: a 12-foot cascade in the timber, a 26-foot veil into a green pool, and a 110-foot plunge through a narrow gap in the cliff. Only the lower 85 feet of that final drop can be seen from the base. Measured total height reaches 151 feet, though earlier inventories noted 186 feet and other figures cite 135 feet with a 70-foot visible drop. Snowmelt can swell the flow twentyfold and throw the water out in an arching plume, while by late summer it clings to the rock.
Getting there
From I-90 take exit 47, cross over the freeway and follow Forest Road 58 about 2.9 miles to three large lots near Denny Creek Campground, with room for about 170 cars and an electronic pay station. Roadside parking is not allowed. A Northwest Forest Pass or Sno-Park permit is required. The hike spans 2 miles round trip with 400 feet of elevation gain, rated easy, on a path of gentle stairs, wooden bridges and rock steps that briefly parallels the road at 0.7 mile.
The land is part of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Trails closed early in 2025 over budget cuts and later reopened. For winter 2025-26 the Franklin Falls lot closed and parking moved to the old Asahel Curtis Sno-Park, extending the trip into a snowy walk of about 3.5 miles each way on road and trail.
When to go
Flow peaks from April through July, and the falls run all year. In winter the route crosses avalanche terrain, and the falls can freeze.
On site
The first 500 feet of trail are wheelchair accessible to a river viewpoint, not to the falls, and ADA parking sits closer to the trailhead. Leashed dogs are allowed, and there is a restroom at the trailhead but no garbage cans. The final approach is narrow, and rocks near the falls are often wet and slippery, so keep children close. On December 25, 2016, falling ice hit a hiker at the falls, and more than 30 rescuers helped carry him out. In late summer the pool becomes a cold swimming hole. The falls are also a canyoneering destination.
Nearby
Denny Camp Falls is about 0.5 mile away and Fall Into The Wall about 0.6 mile, both on the South Fork Snoqualmie. Keekwulee Falls, on Denny Creek, is about 1 mile away.
Distances are straight-line.