Franklin Falls, Denny Creek closed for the summer

Two popular trails — Franklin Falls and Denny Creek — closed May 30 as the Snoqualmie District of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest will restrict access to Forest Service Road 58 in order to kick off construction for its parking lot expansion project.

For Denny Creek, this closure includes both the campground and the trailhead, while the Franklin Falls Trailhead, the Franklin Falls Trail, and the Wagon Road Trail are also shut down. The closure is expected to last through the fall, with the area expected to be open by December as well as the following summer.

People flock to beaches, mountain hiking trails during weekend heat wave

“The closures are necessary to protect the health and safety of the workers and the public,” said Snoqualmie District Ranger Heather Randall Wilder in a prepared statement. “Although having these popular areas and trails closed for the summer is disappointing, the improvements will make the area more enjoyable for years to come.”

The project will increase parking capacity by 72 spaces and construct a loop road that will help alleviate traffic congestion concerns. This project, funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), was enacted in 2020 as GAOA seeks to invest in infrastructure, recreation facilities, public lands access, and land and water conservation.

Franklin Falls — which can currently hold just 30 cars in its lot — is an approximately 1-mile hike that leads to the Franklin Waterfall. It became a popular snowshoe destination in the wintertime.

Oso community marks 9-year anniversary of deadly landslide

Denny Creek trail is roughly five miles roundtrip, with hikers immersed in an old-growth forest providing a canopy along the three-foot wide trail. A diverse understory of ferns, salmonberry, skunk cabbage, and numerous wildflower species encompass the hike.

Denny Creek was named for Arthur A. Denny, the leader of the Denny Party — a group of American pioneers credited with founding Seattle.