Up this week - PART 4 in the series, covering our final two hikes "Worth the Drive". Also be sure to check out the last few weeks, covering PART 3 - 2 Great Lake Hikes, PART 2 - 3 Nature Hikes on the Eastside and PART 1 - 3 Easy Hikes in Redmond. Stay turned next week for two BONUS family hikes for those of you ready for a bit more of a challenge!
#9 Big Four Ice Caves– Granite Falls, WA
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate. It’s about a mile to the caves with about 300 feet of elevation gain. Most 4 year-olds can make it to the ice cave in about an hour.
Fees: *Northwest Forest Recreation Pass Required* The trailhead is patrolled and there is no way to buy one on site. You can get a $5 daily e-pass here to print out at home and put on your dashboard. The local ranger station, the Verlot Public Service Center, also has a permit machine on-site that accepts credit cards.
Address: There isn't a great street address, but this is an easy trailhead to find. Enter the address for the Verlot Public Service Center in to your GPS: 33515 Mtn. Loop Highway, Granite Falls, WA 98252. At the Verlot Public Service Center, reset your car’s trip meter. Brown and yellow National Park signs for “The Big Four Picnic Area” “Ice Caves Trailhead” will appear in about 14.5 miles. Map: https://goo.gl/maps/0TVYM
Road & trail conditions - WSDOT doesn't have any traffic cameras in the area. To get the best info about weather, traffic, and trail conditions, call the Darrington Ranger District.
Trail map: http://alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/big-four-ice-caves-trail
Restrooms: There is a restroom with running water at the Verlot Public Service Center. There are sani-can facilities at the Picnic Area and Trailhead parking lots, although only the one at the picnic area are open year-round. Make sure to pack toilet paper (just in case) and hand sanitizer.
Stroller / wheelchair options: No. While the light incline and narrow path prevent strollers from being viable here, the incline is gentle enough that many parents wear babies up to the ice caves.
Why you want to go: Ice caves. While it is not safe to go into the caves, it’s an amazing experience to go right up near the entrance and peek inside.
Getting there: Note that there is no cell service on the mountain so download all of your information ahead of time. From the Verlot Public Service Center, drive 14.5 miles to the yellow National Parks signs reading “Big Four Picnic Area” or “Ice Caves Trailhead.” The picnic area lot has sani-cans open year-round and the trailhead lot has more parking spaces. A trail connects both lots. Both lots have small trails that connect up to the main ice cave trail at about the same distance. So, it doesn’t really matter which lot you park in. Find a spot and have an incredible adventure to remember for years to come!
Pro tip: bring a thermos of hot cocoa and leave it in the car wrapped in a blanket. After the hike, enjoy a warm and chocolaty treat!
#10 Franklin Falls- Snoqualmie Pass
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate. It’s about a mile to the caves with about 400 feet of elevation gain. Most 4 year-olds can make it to the falls in about an hour.
Fees: *Northwest Forest Recreation Pass Required* The trailhead is patrolled and there is no way to buy one on site. You can get a $5 daily e-pass here to print out at home and put on your dashboard.
Address: There isn't a great street address, so check out the directions below. Try entering this address into your GPS or smartphone: 100 NF-5830, North Bend, WA. Bookmark the direction below. Map: http://binged.it/1DIfb7K
Trail map: http://dotsonstories.blogspot.com/2015/02/franklin-falls-easy-snoqualmie-pass.html
Restrooms: There is no restroom right at Franklin Falls, but there is a sani-can facility at the Denny Creek Trailhead a few minutes past the Franklin Falls trailhead. Check out the trail map for more details. Bring TP (just in case) and hand sanitizer. It might be worth stopping at the North Bend outlet mall to use the restroom before hitting the hike.
Stroller / wheelchair options: No.
Why you want to go: Waterfalls up close. Unlike Snoqualmie Falls, where visitors stay behind fences and railings at a safe distance, Franklin Falls invites explorers to the base and feel the spray. It is a truly unique experience.
Getting there: Make sure to bring some water, snacks, shoes with good traction, a coat to wear at the base of the falls, hats for kids, and a change of shoes & pants for the ride home. From the trailhead, follow the South Fork Snoqualmie River upstream until you reach the falls. Just past the parking lot is an incredibly fun rocky beach. Make sure to take some time to allow kids to scamper around, throw rocks in the river. This will add time to the adventure but it will be so worth it. Having kids start off the hike on a happy note will make the excursion all the more fun! Continue following the trail upstream. About halfway up the trail you’ll see the road almost touch some stairs on the path. As the roar of the falls grows louder, the trail descends down to the base of the falls for the last .1 miles. This last stretch is a little treacherous as the path fades away to big rocks. This requires really climbing down some possibly slippery boulders and even adults may need one hand to steady themselves, so it would be best if there could be a 1:1 ratio of grown-ups to little kids, although bigger kids should be able to climb down the rocks on their own. The height of the river varies, so be prepared for wet feet and legs, but even so, this hike is incredible and totally worth it.
Directions:
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.
Looking for more hikes? Find even more FAMILY-FRIENDLY HIKES HERE
Growing up in King County, Jennifer attended Western Washington University and started working at Microsoft right out of college. For over a decade, she worked on online games with Microsoft Games Studios focusing on test automation. She left the exciting world of game development in 2010 to enter the even more exciting world of being a stay at home mom. Currently, she and her son love going on local adventures and spending time outdoors year round. Vist more on her blog: http://dotsonstories.blogspot.com/
