7/15/15 - Franklin Falls, Snoqualmie Alps

Today, Claire and Levi hiked with me to the Franklin Falls, located along I-90 towards Snoqualmie Pass. The parking area had signs informing about the $5 day use fee required. My National Park Pass did not work, as this is U.S. Forest Land, so the fee still had to be paid. The trail is travelled often, by many visitors. By the end of our trip, the parking lot and road was filled with cars, and there were many hikers starting out. I imagine this place feels as crowded as Disneyland on a weekend in the summer. The trail was built into many "boxes" out of logs and filled with gravel. These boxes created steps for us to use to climb our way up and down the trail. At the trails end, the falls are impressive, although the noise from the I-90 overpass takes away from the majestic scene. A very nice walk and a well maintained trail. After this hike, and a break for lunch, we went to the Pratt Lake Trailhead and hiked about a mile into the woods up the mountain before turning around and returning home.