Franklin Falls
%2C%20001.jpg?width=1600)
.jpg?width=480)
%2C%20002.jpg?width=480)
%2C%20003.jpg?width=480)
%2C%20004.jpg?width=480)
Franklin Falls is a waterfall in Washington, at a modelled elevation of 791 m. Chikamin Peak stands 2,110 m to the east-northeast, 6.7 miles off. The nearest named place is Denny Camp Falls, a waterfall 0.5 miles away. Mountains to Sound Greenway - I-90 runs past it.
The story
Franklin Falls is the first of three major waterfalls on the South Fork Snoqualmie River. The other two downriver falls are Weeks Falls and Twin Falls. Franklin Falls are located near Snoqualmie Pass in King County, Washington, United States, between the north and south lanes of Interstate 90, just east of exit 47. The falls actually consist of three tiers, totaling 135 feet (41 m). The first drop is a very scenic 15-foot (4.6 m) block-shaped fall. The second drop is a 25-foot (7.6 m) fanning cascade. The final drop begins as a 25-foot slide, which bends to the right, then plunges over the final 70-foot (21 m) drop seen from the base of the falls. The falls are popular canyoneering destination. The upper two drops are north of the freeway. The trails to the falls were closed in 2025 due to budget cuts, but have since reopened.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q37421, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Height
- 41 m
How to reach it
- On the Mountains to Sound Greenway - I-90, National
- On the JCT WEST LAKE SAMMAMISH PKWY VIC ISSAQUAH TO JCT SR 970 VIC CLE ELUM
- On the JCT EAST SUNSET WAY VIC ISSAQUAH TO VIC THORP
- 17.2 mi off the JCT SR 522 TO JCT SR 90 VIC NORTH BEND
Overlooks nearby
- Mount Margaret · 5 mi
- Little Balcony · 8 mi
- Dirty Harry's Balcony · 8 mi
- Weeks Falls Viewpoint · 10 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Denny Mountain: 1.1 mi
- Guye Peak: 1.6 mi
- Guye Peak Middle: 1.7 mi
- Guye Peak North: 1.7 mi
- The Tooth: 1.8 mi
- Hyak Sno-Parks: 3.0 mi
- Dahlgren Family Park: 15.4 mi
- Tanner Landing Park: 15.5 mi
- French Cabin Creek Recreation Area: 15.7 mi
- French Cabin Sno Park: 15.9 mi
- Denny Camp Falls: 0.5 mi
- Fall into the Wall: 0.6 mi
- Keekwulee Falls: 1.0 mi
- Snowshoe Falls: 1.2 mi
- Rampart Falls: 4.1 mi
- Fort Tilton Historical Marker: 7.8 mi
- Nordrum Lookout: 10.4 mi
- NP Ski Bowl Lodge: 11.0 mi
- Pollalie Ridge Lookout: 12.2 mi
- Chester Morse Monument: 13.7 mi
- Osprey Wall: 0.8 mi
- Alpental Cliffs: 1.0 mi
- Spouse Wall: 9.9 mi
- Lower Pratt Climbing Area: 10.5 mi
- East Quartz Camp: 10.6 mi
- Tubing Park: 1.6 mi
- Amazonia: 11.4 mi
- Actual Cave: 11.4 mi
- Club Paradiso: 11.4 mi
- Semi Wall: 11.6 mi
- Rockdale Picnic Area: 2.1 mi
- Asahel Curtis Picnic Area: 2.7 mi
- Camp Brown Day Use Area: 9.8 mi
- Group Picnic Shelter: 10.2 mi
- Olallie State Park South Fork Picnic Area: 10.5 mi
- Washington State Ski & Snowboard Museum: 1.0 mi
- Cedar River Watershed Education Center: 16.0 mi
- Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum: 17.3 mi
- Northwest Railway Museum, Train Hall: 18.9 mi
- Northwest Railway Museum: 19.7 mi
- Dendritic Root Floor: 15.9 mi
- Snaking Root Ceiling: 15.9 mi
- Poet's Path: 19.6 mi
- 2003 Centennial Mural: 19.6 mi
- Snoqualmie Totem Pole: 19.6 mi
- Easton Ponds: 18.1 mi
- South Fork Tolt Reservoir Watershed: 21.8 mi
- Cottonwood Natural Area: 22.1 mi
- Deception Falls Picnic Area: 23.0 mi
- Suncadia Conservancy: 23.3 mi
- Travelers Rest Rest Area: 1.0 mi
- Iron Goat Rest Area: 23.5 mi
- Goldmyer Hot Springs: 4.6 mi
- Scenic Hot Springs: 24.0 mi
- Canyon Spring: 15.5 mi
- Speelyi Beach: 20.7 mi
- Jean Caithness Greenlees Grove: 22.5 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 7.5 miles of Franklin Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chikamin Peak | ENE 59° | 2,110 m | 6.7 mi |
| Mount Thomson | NE 46° | 1,998 m | 4.7 mi |
| Hibox Mountain | E 86° | 1,996 m | 6.2 mi |
| Burntboot Peak | NE 43° | 1,987 m | 7.2 mi |
| Four Brothers | ENE 65° | 1,977 m | 6.6 mi |
| Huckleberry Mountain | NE 53° | 1,926 m | 5.7 mi |
| Snoqualmie Mountain East | NNE 20° | 1,914.57 m | 2.5 mi |
| Snoqualmie Mountain | NNE 18° | 1,913.5 m | 2.5 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:09 | 18:38 | 19:19 |
| June solstice | 05:10 | 20:19 | 21:07 |
| September equinox | 06:53 | 18:25 | 19:05 |
| December solstice | 07:51 | 15:25 | 16:18 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Jun–Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 29 | 30 | 35 | 39 | 46 | 52 | 59 | 60 | 55 | 44 | 34 | 28 |
| Precip in | 11.7 | 7.9 | 8.8 | 6.5 | 4.7 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 9.0 | 13.7 | 12.6 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Stampede Pass, 11 mi away.
Months at or above the year’s average flow: Nov–Feb, Apr–Jun — fullest in May, leanest in Aug.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean cfs | 357 | 305 | 282 | 385 | 546 | 429 | 169 | 64.4 | 80.4 | 188 | 395 | 363 |
USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge SF Snoqualmie River AB Alice Creek Near Garcia, WA, 7 mi away — the nearest gauge, which can sit on a different stream.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/2946355873
Day trips start here
- Snoqualmie Pass · 3 mi
- North Bend · 17 mi
- King County · 19 mi
- Snoqualmie · 20 mi
- Stevens Pass · 27 mi
Take the scenic way to Franklin Falls.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.