So we decided to come pay a visit as our family is here and we did not want to impose a strenuous hike on them. Franklin falls trail was just perfect for them. 2 mile Round trip from the trail head with 400 ft gain , this hike is great for everybody. Given the easiness , people who come here mostly don't have trail etiquette which you just have to be ok with. If you are fast paced you might want to ask yourself to be excused as most people wont bother asking. But aside from all that a decent view and a well kept trail will make this a short nice walk with family. Once you reach the falls , there is a nice area where you can enjoy the cold water and kiddos and furry family can have their share of fun as well. Mostly good vibes!!! I got bitten by mosquitoes while I was waiting for the others . My family didn't seem to have a problem . I would suggest to avoid wearing black or any dark color for that matter. I was wearing black tights and that sure attracted them. Also parking is hard to find . We got lucky and scored the spot while someone was leaving. But it's better to get here nice and early to avoid circling around for a spot. Also don't forget to carry your Northwest Pass or America the great pass and hang them in your cars. Happy trails! read more

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My favorite falls so far! This was a beautiful and easy 2 mile round trip walk from the parking lot at the bottom. The falls itself is located underneath the Denny Creek Viaduct (the bridge above the trees on I-90). The rocks at the end of the path closer to the falls are very slippery, so be careful. We went in July 2017 and the falls were quite heavy. I loved it. read more

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Beautiful place but please clean the restrooms felty no toilet paper and very nasty please take care of it . read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

Love this place very much! The hike is so beautiful along the creek to meet the fall at the end... easy hike for kids and senior...

Clearly Washingtonians definition of easy and out of staters definition of easy are WAY different! This is NOT easy! I felt the description was not accurate and there's plenty of unsafe areas, with no railings & a 400 foot drop. People recommended this as a good 1st hike, I would definitely not! If your not a hiker spare yourself the stress and drama and work up to something like this! I wish I did:( oh and the way in and out is so scary you will your pants. read more

An easy hike with awesome results! Two miles roundtrip (roughly three during the winter season). There's a small parking lot at the base of the hike and it's super close to various other trails (Denny Creek, Granite Mt, etc). This hike is relatively short and on the flatter side so expect a lot of traffic especially during the weekends and holiday breaks. I just went for the first time during the winter and it's absolutely beautiful. It's just as beautiful in the summer/spring but something about the snow and icicles makes this destination truly magical. The trail is covered in compacted snow so have some gear (poles/shoes) and dress warm! I saw too many noobs going solely for pictures (I get it, the PNW is beautiful) but cmon you really can't complain about the cold when you're simply wearing a tank with a plaid shirt (insert eye roll emoji). Especially when you get down to the falls, it gets slippery and you'll get wet when you get close to the falls. Dress warm and take it slow, it may be a short hike but snow/cold is no joke! I recommend this hike to everyone, so check it out for yourself! Note: if you're using google maps, put in the coordinates from the WTA website because the Franklin Falls Trail on google maps takes you a bit farther than where the trail actually is. read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - Right of the falls - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

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Franklin Falls....oh what a time. So a little background on myself, I'm definitely more of a couch-potato than a nature-enthusiast. But since I was in the Seattle area for vacation, I was down to do some exploring with my friends. Anyways this hike is not for the faint of heart. I believe it was a total of 9 or 10 miles round trip (depending on where you park). It's a great and beautiful hike, but can also be very strenuous for those who are not accustomed to long hiking distances. Here's some details about my trip to Franklin Falls: Me and a group of 4 other friends ventured out to this place roughly around 10:30am, didn't get back to our car until around 3:30pm. You can do the math (although we did frequently stop and took many pictures). Getting to this place can be fairly tricky, our GPS application kept rerouting us so it took us a while to actually get to the area. Tip: Use Google Maps instead of Apple Maps! So we get to the area, and some random lady tells us not to go up the road to where the trail begins due to traffic and bad road conditions. She was right! So we parked at the the very very base of the road (keep in mind this is not the base of the trail, we parked literally right next to the freeway). This in itself, made our trip much longer than most people. I believe it was a 3 mile trip just to get to the trail itself from our car. So yeah, if you park near the freeway, that's the distance you will have to traverse just to get to the trail. I also want to side note about the road conditions leading to the Franklin Falls trail. It's BAD. We went this past weekend and the roads were iced up like an ice skating rink. We even saw people get stuck in some parts of the road. I recommend parking at the base of the road and walking up to avoid this mess. That, or have really good AWD car...or chains could work too I guess. Anyways, so it's about a 3 mile hike from the base of the road to the actual trail itself. From there, it's another 2 miles to reach Franklin Falls. So in essence, 5 miles one way. Like I said, this hike tested my will to live....lol. I felt like quitting many times but my friends kept me going. Make sure you have the appropriate winter/snow gear because it's cold and slippery out there. I honestly think that the hike there was cooler than the actual waterfall. On the way there, you will encounter many places to take a cool instagram photo! From the frozen creeks to the snow-blanketed trees, this place is a winter wonderland during these months. As for the Falls itself, it is also very breathtaking. Frozen waterfalls, I mean, how cool is that? There is a specific part when getting down to the falls that some people might have trouble with. It's a semi-steep slope that requires you to hold onto a rope so you don't slip and fall. Other than that, it was pretty easy. Overall, Franklin Falls is a must! Make sure you bring a portable battery charger because you will be taking pictures for days. All I can say is to be ready for mother nature because I felt like I was on Man vs. Wild during the hike. This hike is definitely a bucket list item, and I am glad I can cross it off my list! Also check out my photos that I will be posting with this review. read more

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Initially was scared about the icy conditions and crazy traffic heading into the trailhead to hike this falls based on recent reports but luckily it seems that when you go on a working day or a day after a major holiday, the volume wasn't too bad at all. I had a 2WD so I had to hike longer as I basically parked maybe 0.2-0.3 miles before the trailhead. I parked before the bridge to the trailhead. The hike from the trailhead was about 1 mile. Didn't see any cars parking near the trailhead. The hike was very nice but the road to the trailhead was icy and packed with snow. There was also a lot of potholes so be very careful! I bought online a Northwest pass for $5 in order to hike here. From Issaquah region, took about 40 minutes. Don't rely on Google maps to take you to Franklin Falls because it takes you to the wrong exist. Exit 47 is the correct one, take that, turn left and turn right and fork to the left when available and just follow the path to the trailhead. read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

Bring show shoes and whatever necessary to walk in slippery icy compacted snow! Couldn't do the hike Bc even though my husband and I aren't noobs to hiking we wore hiking boots and fell on our butts like three times and couldn't do the hike only made half way and turned back for safety Do not only wear tennis shoes you will most def eat shit hard! My dog had fun though lol read more

Annemarie managed to convince me that it would be a good idea to go hiking in the winter, somehow. I'm still not sure how it happened but one sunny Sunday morning, after brunch, I found myself suddenly dressed in winter gears (all hers) and off we went on this 2-mile hike. It was relatively easy, even for a house cat like me. It was the start of winter and it had been snowing, so everything was covered in fluffy white, powdery snow and it was a beautiful winter wonderland. With my snow boots, it was actually easy to walk in the snow (and thankfully my boots are waterproof and I would highly recommend waterproof boots and jacket). I saw families with kids and small dogs (although a couple small dogs had to be carried). I love hikes that have a clear end and beginning (did I just use the words love and hike in the same sentence?!), and this is definitely one of those. This hike ends with a beautiful waterfall that I think is more gorgeous in the winter. It can be a bit tough to find the trailhead and also to find where to park, but otherwise, short hike + big reward = my kind of hike. read more

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Roads were good in June. Alot of fun and easy trail. View is very nice but there are also alot of little stops you can make and enjoy views. Very family friendly trail. There is a $5 fee so bring cash! read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

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Franklin Falls is easily one of my top waterfall trails within a close distance from Seattle. It's also one of my "go-to" falls for when friends and family visit. The trail is well-maintained by the WTA, it strolls along the beautiful Denny Creek featuring old, mossy coniferous trees, and does not require a large gain (only 400 feet increase). ALL this is seen during a two-mile round-trip hike! Along the hike, you can track your progress by knowing you're a third of the way when you hike right pass the NF-5800 road. Then you can tell you're close to the falls by the sound of rushing water but also when you reach a humongous stone wall on your right side that the trail is gouged into. What I love most about Franklin Falls is that you are actually able to access the falls itself, which mists you constantly from afar (or drenches you, depending on how close you get). There are no barriers! Best times to visit is between April and July when the snow is melting, but no matter when you visit, it's still a 70 foot falls. In actuality, they are 135 total feet, but the largest drop is visible from this hike. One downfall would be seeing and hearing the Interstate 90 traffic since the falls is smack-dab between the Eastbound and Westbound viaducts. A few details to note: -A Northwest Forest Pass is required since it's within the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest boundaries. I recommend bringing singles or purchasing a pass online at http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r6/passes-permits/recreation. We were left digging deep in our pockets and searching the car for coins. A day pass is only $5.00 and well worth every quarter we hunted for! -GO EARLY! There is a small parking lot (fits only about 15 cars) so it can become quite difficult to find a spot on a busy day. -Know weather conditions around Snoqualmie Pass. When we came here in mid-December, it was 50-degrees and clear in Seattle, raining past Issaquah and snowing past North Bend. Thankfully we had a four-wheel drive vehicle and nowhere else to be. -If traveling with youngin's and pets, be careful at the rock wall right before the falls because the path often crumbles, plus the walkway remains wet and slippery all year round. -After the hike, drive about 5 minutes further west along NF-58 to the smaller, upper falls. No hike required. They'll appear on your left before reaching I-90's 906 exit with the Sahalie Ski Club. It's not a super remote location, with plenty of pot-smoking foot traffic, but you feel like you are a world's away from urbanity. read more

One of the most fun hikes I've been on. We went during the winter (march) and this is usually when the waterfall is still frozen. It looks absolutely beautiful and I would say the trek is dog friendly! The road was closed to get to the parking lot because of the snow so the home that is usually a 2 mile hike was a 7.5 mile hike. Either way it was definitely worth it!! read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

Beautiful, short (less than)1 mile hike from the parking lot out to the falls. I definitely think children could do this easy- 400ft elevation and steady rising. I'm a pro photog that was visiting from Virginia- ended up bringing clients out here after I hiked it to do a shoot because I found it so beautiful(pictured). read more

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Wear good shoes/boots....tred. Start early....no later than 1pm. Road closed in winter so its a 6mile hike and a dangerous spot at the end. Most people slide down at the end. REI has spikes i recommend them in the snow. read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - Steep - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

Family friend hike to an amazing waterfall. The trail head is located off exit 47 on I90 in the Denny Creek campground. The trail can get packed but there is sufficient parking. 2 mile round trip with some elevation gain to the bottom of the waterfall. Doable for all ages and dogs as well. Unlike Snoqualmie which is viewed from the top, here you walk to the base of the waterfall. There are options to walk down to the creek as well. Highly recommended. read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

Me and my wife came back here and tried to get to Franklin Falls for the second time, this time without my little dog. We got to the entrance off of Exit 47 and proceeded to walk the 2 miles to the Franklin Falls trailhead, This time we got here early about 9:30am and there was one other car parked at the closed gate entrance. We brought water and some bananas this time also. Of course we used are snow shoes with crampons and trekking sticks. Got to the Franklin Falls in about 45 minutes from the parking lot. The path to the falls was icy and slippery. The falls themselves was beautiful and the total snowy scene was incredible, Well worth the hike. We were there with only a couple of young ladies and their dog. On the way back we saw many more people hiking to the falls. Recommend start early, bring snow shoes with microspikes. bring water and some energy food, and some poles. Well worth it, you will not be disappointed! read more

This is a really neat hike. Supppper easy, not too long, and a beautiful waterfall at the end. Depending on the weather, the parking can be a little hectic but you'll eventually find some. Make sure to park in a spot with room so another car doesn't back into yours and not leave a note! The trail is well maintained and follows the creek/river so a lot of places to stop and either play in the water or get good pictures. At the end of the hike is the waterfall. We have taken a packed lunch and sat on the big rocks at the end in the sunlight and enjoyed lunch by the waterfall. It was a good weekend excursion not too far from home. It is pretty shady and follows the water so if it's not too hot out, keep that in mind. read more

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A beautiful and easy hike for the winter! I went today (late November) and the fall at the end of the trail was half frozen. Though there wasn't enough snow to make a winter wonderland, the view was fabulous. If you are craving the outdoors in the winter and want an easy hike, I would absolutely recommend this one. read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - Half frozen falls. - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

Hiked this on 4/10/2016. Got here at 4 pm. Found a lot of parking. Definitely recommend this. A lot of value for the distance. ~2 miles. Bought the Pacific Northwest forest pass from outdoor emporium in Seattle. You will need one. Costed me $5. When we hiked there was a lot of snow. That made it more fun. Bring extra socks. Will definitely go again!! read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - Hiked the falls on 4/10/2016. Found parking and a beautiful view - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

What an awesome place for a short hike. Loved how quiet it was and listening to the water the whole time. The closer you got to the water fall you could here the traffic from I-90 but to me I just toned it out and focused on the water sound. Nothing like nature to turn a not so good vacation into a tolerable one! This is a must when I visit this side of the state. The best part is that you are not that far from a camp ground...just down the the road so that will happen this summer! read more

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Truly amazing!!! It's gorgeous! Just make sure you have AWD and snow chains. You can get stuck and it becomes a hassle. Just park off the exit of the freeway to avoid getting stuck if you don't have chains or a decent car to get though the icy roads (extra 5 miles added to the hike total of 7 if you park there)and don't listen to google maps . Take exit 47 from Seattle . read more

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Amazing ice fall. You will deserve a 2 miles snow trail though sometimes you probably fall down to the smooth trail. It's also suitable for kids when it is slippery, they can slide to pass. So much fun! read more

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This was a great hike for kids and beginning hikers as well. Strollers would not work but if you have a baby sling or hiking backpack, it works perfect. Wear slip proof shoes or hiking shoes for this one especially on those wet days, the last part of the trail just before the falls has some slippery rocks. It is a well cared for trail and there are beautiful scenery all the way in. But the falls itself is what makes this hike so awesome. We had three adults and two children (1yrs old & 6yrs old) so we packed a lunch and found a nice spot by the falls to eat. There is a lot of room but keep in mind it is mostly rocks. On the way out we stopped by the river and let the kids swim. Will definitely do this hike again when the little guy gets a little bigger. There is only one bathroom in the beginning of the hike, by the handicap parking. This is a popular trail so go early. Also, parking can be a little tricky for those bigger vehicles for once the road starts filling up there is only room for one car at a time. Happy trails!!! read more

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This is a very beautiful hike. It is dog friendly with numerous places for your pup to drink from the fresh water throughout the hike. I would actually consider it more of a walk, it was not very strenuous. I went on a holiday weekend so it was extremely busy, just beware that the parking can fill up quick, so grab the first spot you find. If you have a discover pass, great, use that. If not, you will need to pay $5 for parking. Once you get to the falls there are plenty of areas to have a snack and take in the gorgeous views! read more

It's a really easy hike! Roughly around 2 miles round trip, the trail is clean and the water is clear. Requires a NW pass but they do have a day pass available for $5.00. read more

What a beautiful, short hike! We have been here in the summer as well as just getting back from there this afternoon! I was hoping to see it in the snow and it definitely didn't disappoint me! We did have to park approx 3/4 of a mile from the trailhead as the road was blocked, then the hike to the falls is about a mile. So approximately 3 1/2 miles round trip. Very narrow road once everybody starts parking on both sides...ends up being a one lane road! It does get a little slippery in a few places, so make sure you have some shoes with traction. The falls are gorgeous as always! Oh, you do need a Discover Pass to park and explore here... read more

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When planning my trip to Seattle, and my trip was only a quick three day trip, I still wanted to incorporate some nature into it. This hike was perfect. It wasn't too far of a drive away from the city (about an hour away). The hike wasn't strenuous at all, there were group of elementary school aged kids that I saw during the hike. Also good to bring dogs along too. And the site was amazing. Be mindful that you will need to have cash and a pen to fill out the parking pass for the day, which seems more of an honors system than anything. For summer early morning probably around 7-8 am there were a lot of cars already parked at the parking lot. The fall itself is so beautiful. I recommend visiting if you haven't yet :) read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

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It was super easy going nice hike! We were able to make with 6 years old girl, a 3 years old golden retriever and my husband. Success!

Took my LA friends on this hike and it was perfect in terms of distance, difficulty, and view. This hike is easy comparing it to rattlesnake, there isn't much incline/ crazy rocks/ or barriers. I see alot of parents taking kids on this hike so if they could do it, so can you! Also, was raining when we did this hike and it was still absolutely gorgeous. About a little over two miles roundtrip and it took us about 45 minutes. read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - Cheers to friendship! - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

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Very beautiful falls and nice place to take kids and pets. You need to have a parking pass which is 5$ and needs to be displayed on your car dashboard. The parking is always almost full at the start of the trial head and difficult to get a spot. But there is another parking place if go ahead for another 0.5 miles from the parking at the trail head. This parking is not known to most of them and almost everyone will struggle for parking at the trial head. The total hike from the trial head is 1 mile. But if u park your car in another parking which 0.5 mile from the trial head, then you save 0.5 miles of hike and u will only need to hike for 0.5 miles to Franklin falls. The hike is pretty easy and enjoyable. read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - Rainbow at Franklin falls - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

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I loved this waterfall. The entire trail of about 2.0 miles round trip plus the actual sight of the waterfall was purely beautiful. I was surprised that I had never been to this place in the past. Except for the last 100-300 feet of trail which was rocky, rest of the trail was really well maintained. I have blogged my experience here : http://beachlifewithdanny.blogspot.com/2014/07/franklin-falls-easy-hike-and.html read more

Love love this place. So happy I went with my Lil family to do the 2 mile hike that ended at the waterfall. It was so beautiful. If you have little ones, make sure to help them down the stairs since they will be wet. Best time to visit this place is from June - October. read more

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Super easy 2 mile round trip hike--great for out of town visitors, first time hikers, and kids. The tricky part was the big rocks near the falls which were a bit slippery, but with cautious steps, it's not that bad. I took my mom who was visiting from out of state, and she loved it. I knew I wanted to take her somewhere flatter with a view, and the drive was worth it. Expect to get a little wet from the mist of the falls. read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

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This hike is pretty fun! The hiking is roughly around 2 miles back and forth. The best thing about this hike was the natural waterslide about half way towards down to the camping area. That in my opinion is the best thing about Franklin Falls. Me and a couple of friends had so much fun sliding down the waterslide, it is very slippery when trying to get back up. But very easy to get back up. There is even a little pool place to sit down while the water hits your back. So if you're planning a trip to Franklin Falls! Bring swimming trunks! and prepare to have the time of your life. read more

Great short hike, beautiful view. My husband and I went with our three year old son and my in-laws. We had fun but the only problem is when we need to go to the restroom there wasn't one to be found. We had to drive to the nearest gas station. Which took a while. Next time we will make sure not to drink too much water. :) read more

I took my son here for a mommy son date/hike. I was about 8 months pregnant and he was 4 years old. There were no bathrooms at the trail head. It was also hard to find, but maybe that's on me. According the WTA it was supposed to be a 2 mile hike with no incline. This hike, while short, was ALL incline. This wouldn't bother me normally but at the time I was just a big ole pregnant lady who just wanted an EASY trail to do with her son. My son ran ahead of me with ease and while at moments he did complain about being tired, I think he was just being lazy more than anything. He enjoyed himself. There was a place along the trail to go off and play in the river. My son had a ton of fun throwing rocks. Once you reach the waterfall the trail pretty much ends and you are walking on slippery rocks. This was scary for me as a pregnant uncoordinated mother trying to find her own balance while also helping her 4 year find his. My four year old was also unimpressed. We had a nice afternoon overall though. It's a short hike. Great for beginners and families. But I'd say boring if you're looking for something more challenging and with more sights. I don't think I'd drive out of my way again to do this hike. read more

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This was such a beautiful place. First time checking it out & we'll be back for sure. It was a well maintained trail & what a beautiful payoff looking at that waterfall! Love it. read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - What a great hike! - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

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When I came to Washington to visit family - I immediatly said take me to a big waterfall and a lot of green. Well that is exactly what I got! What a fun hike - it was a really hot day so the cool water felt amazing. Kid friendly hike and trail - my kid was 5yrs. Beautiful location. read more

Franklin Falls Trailhead - Amazing Lighting on the trail to Franklin Falls, Washington www.justbphotography.net - Hiking Near Me - North Bend, Washington

Only a 4 because the narrow parking is horrible, they don't accept the Discover Pass so you pay $5/day for parking and there isn't even a honey bucket by the entrance. If you're a beginner to hiking and you're not sure what your tolerance will be or if hiking is something you want to get into, then start on this trail. It's paved well that your knees won't suffer as much and it's short -2 miles round trip. However it is an incline and the end close to the actual falls becomes very narrow and rocky so you still shouldn't wear flip flops and don't underestimate the rocks at the end, they can get slippery when it rains. This was such a good short and rewarding trail/hike. I didn't even need a stick and I saw kids and elderly folks on the trail. It was nice and cool since it was shaded. Kind of a long ride though just to do a 2 mile hike. read more