If you’re seeking a relatively effortless hike in Washington that takes you to one of the best waterfalls in Washington, the Twin Falls Trail in North Bend (inside Olallie State Park) is suitable for you. As a bonus, the hike to Twin Falls is also accessible year-round thanks to its low elevation, which makes it an excellent winter hiking choice.
It was Matt`s family`s customary hike around the holidays, which was when we last tackled this trail.
The trail offers scenic beauty with diverse forests of moss-draped old growth trees (particularly in winter and spring), a rushing waterway (the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River), and not one but two waiting cascades at trail`s end.
It’s a great choice for families and individuals searching for a bit of fresh air, but who aren’t up for an eight mile grueling climb like Mount Si.
Plus, the trailhead is just 40 minutes outside of Seattle, which makes it one of the best hikes near Seattle if you’re searching for a nice waterfall.
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Table of Contents
Twin Falls Trail Details
- Length: 2.5 miles
- Elevation Gain: 600 ft.
- Season: Year Round
- Trail Type: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Easy / Moderate
- Dog Friendly: Yes, on a leash
- Required Permit: Discover Pass or a $10 day pass accessible at the machine in the parking lot
- Location of the trailhead
The Alternate Route from the Homestead Valley Trailhead
There is an alternative route to arrive at Twin Falls that actually presents a nice option on busy days, because you’ll be approaching the falls along a much less trafficked trail.
This route starts at the beginning point located on Google Maps ( in this area) at the designated stop point.
It’s also located in Olallie State Park, so you’ll still need your Discover Pass to park at the trailhead. This version of the Twin Falls hike follows a section of the Palouse to Cascades Trail west towards Twin Falls.
The trail is both somewhat less enjoyable – mostly because it’s downhill on the way to the falls, and uphill on the way back to the vehicle – and a bit harder than the version we’re covering in depth below.
Roundtrip it measures 3.7 miles long with an elevation gain of 1,000 feet, primarily on the return to the trailhead. Additionally, it doesn`t shadow the river course, and noise from nearby traffic can become intolerable.
On the positive side, as noted earlier, this side of the trail will likely have significantly fewer individuals on it, and securing a parking spot at the starting point may be somewhat easier (though still not ideal).
The Best Time to Hike the Twin Falls Trail
The hike to Twin Falls has accessibility basically throughout the year, which is fairly unique when discussing hiking in Washington.
It’s our go-to hike in the winter, when most routes in the mountains are completely inaccessible without winter hiking gear.
The entire hike remains below 1,000 feet above sea level, meaning it avoids being covered in snow from December to May (approximately).
The waterfall`s sound is quite loud in winter and early spring due to the high rainfall levels in western Washington. Its flow decreases later in summer and early fall.
Getting to the Twin Falls Trailhead
The Twin Falls trailhead is in North Bend, about 40 minutes / 35 miles east of Seattle.
You’ll board I-90 East towards Snoqualmie Pass and follow it to Exit 34 (468th Avenue SE).
From there, turn right onto 468th Avenue SE and drive for under half a mile, taking a left onto SE 159th Street and following it to the trailhead.
Parking at the Twin Falls Trailhead
Due to its accessibility and natural beauty, this is a very popular hike, particularly in summer months.
We`ve witnessed the diminutive entrance area, containing restrooms and space for approximately 20 vehicles, completely filled by 08:30, with overflow spilling onto the road guiding to the entrance point.
Visiting midweek or off-season will create a much more enjoyable experience for this hike, particularly regarding parking availability.
If that’s not a possibility, plan on reaching the trailhead by 9:00am at the latest for a chance at parking in the lot.
Elsewise, parking locations exist along SE 159th Street, the left turn road directing to the trailhead`s approach. Heed signage prohibiting stopping on one side of the route, with no parking allowed on either side closer to the starting point.
Trail Report: Hiking the Twin Falls Trail in Washington
Usually, in other trail reports (like Colchuck Lake or Burroughs Mountain), we divide the trail into sections to describe exactly what you’ll come across throughout the hike.
However, those hikes are significantly longer and feature more varied scenery, so it doesn`t truly make much sense to do that here. Instead, we`ll cover the entire trail, from the starting point to the upper falls (with a stop at the lower falls along the way).
This hike involves some up and down throughout, so visitors should be prepared to hike uphill in both directions at points.
However, most of the climbing will be on the hike out to the falls, with a few shorter climbs on the return to the trailhead.
From the beginning of the trail, it follows the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River. For around the first half mile, it’s a pleasant, easy stroll alongside the river, with plenty of access points where you can get right down to the river level.
Take care in the winter, where this river can be vigorously rushing. Although, I don’t know why you’d want to get in the frigid water in the depth of winter anyway, so I suppose that’s a somewhat irrelevant point.
At the half mile mark, the trail initiates the first of your two major ascents en route to the cascades.
This initial ascent is smaller of the two, climbing around 150 feet over 0.2 miles to reach an outlook, where there is a pleasant bench for resting.
Here, you`ll catch your first glimpse of the lower falls, although it remains somewhat distant and only partly in view.
From the peak of that initial, smaller hill, you’ll then head downhill (which seems counterintuitive) into a valley, and as soon as you reach the bottom the trail starts to climb again. There is a path out to the nearby river at the bottom of the valley, which merits a brief diversion.
This ascent constitutes the “largest” climb, elevating almost 300 feet along a swift forested switchback sequence. The trail passages bring closeness to the highway`s noise at this factor.
At the top of the hill, you’re ready for the final approach to the Twin Falls. As the name suggests (and as we’ve already covered), there are two distinct falls on this trail. Technically, there are three, but the third isn’t really visible from the trail.
We recommend seeing the upper falls viewpoints first before returning via the lower falls on the way back to the starting point.
Pass the steep steps that take you down to the lower falls viewpoint and continue along the trail for another 0.1 miles, where you’ll emerge onto a wooden bridge with a nice view of the upper falls.
This view might be good enough for you, but there’s another view of the falls up the trail across the bridge that involves a little bit of climbing and another 0.1 miles of hiking.
If continuing past this point on the trail, one would eventually reach the Homestead Valley Trailhead, which served as an alternate route for accessing the falls as mentioned earlier, though it was less crowded and enjoyable.
After surveying the cascades from the higher vantage points, return by the route you came and veer left to descend the steep staircase granting access to the wooden platform overlooking the lower falls.
Be cautious when it’s damp – these steps can be very, very slippery. There are handrails for a reason.
After taking in the view from the lower falls, head back up the steps to the main trail, and back the way you came. Like we mentioned, there are a few short climbs on the return to the trailhead, but nothing too extreme.
