9 Kid-Friendly Waterfall Hikes for Seattle-Area Families

Kids will love: Mossy old-growth forest seldom found so close to home, and an exciting footbridge to cross to see the falls.

Highlights: Twin Falls is one of the most popular family hikes in our region for great reason — the falls are beautiful year-round, fed by North Bend’s astonishing 60 inches of annual rainfall! Kids will love the trail leading to the falls from the get-go, as moss-draped trees flank the south fork of the Snoqualmie River over a ground filled with nurse logs and spring wildflowers (keep an eye out for early blooms of trillium). At about three-quarters of a mile in you’ll find the first viewpoint of the falls; let kids stop to rest on one of the benches and consider this a turn-around spot for younger children. One more mile of the trail brings you to the trail’s big payoff, a high footbridge over the river right between the two waterfalls.

Distance: 3 miles round-trip, 500 feet elevation gain

Info: The Twin Falls hike is within Olallie State Park.

Conditions: Check conditions and trip reports on the WTA website.

Directions: Drive I-90 east to exit 34 and turn right (south) on 468th Avenue Southeast. After half a mile, turn left onto Southeast 159th and continue another half-mile to the trailhead. A Discover Pass is required to park.

Next stop: Wallace Falls

^{Image credit: Scott Smithson/Flickr CC}