After three years of construction to upgrade the Snoqualmie Falls hydroelectric plant and revamp the falls’ riverside park, the 1.2-mile Snoqualmie Falls trail is open to hikers once more. Upgrades include renovations of the observation deck that perches across from the top of the iconic 268-foot falls, a new platform at the base of the crashing cascade, and a 0.6-mile trail that makes the hike between the two view points even easier. The path winds through a Douglas fir forest before connecting to a wooden boardwalk that crosses the power plant—the falls generate enough energy to power 45,000 homes—and ends at the river-level platform. Watch for trail art—engraved text, diagrams—that tells the legend of the falls in English and Snoqualmie, the language of the native tribe (which considers the waterfall a sacred site).
