Keekwulee Falls

In early August I had a special guest in town! An old colleague and friend from my teaching days was in Seattle with her son, and we made some time to see each other. Angela and Michael wanted to go on a hike, particularly one that didn't require hiking boots or poles. I sent them a few options, and they chose Keekwulee Falls.

This ended up being the perfect hike! It's only an hour away and shares a parking lot with Franklin Falls, which I've hiked twice and feel very comfortable with. Zoe and I picked them up a little after 9am, in what is probably our earliest hike to date. 

The trailhead is about half a mile from the Franklin Falls parking lot. The first mile of this hike features a very gradual climb along a well-worn forest path. I'd say the elevation gain is more gradual than Franklin Falls, and features much fewer stairs. 

Although the day started chilly, we definitely began heating up early on. We went on a Monday, so the trail wasn't very busy, which was nice.

Sometime after the first mile, you cross the Denny Creek "waterslide" via a log "bridge." In early spring and summer, I've heard the creek is roaring and this crossing is a little scarier, but we could have crossed the creek itself, since it was just a trickle this late in the summer.

Once over this flat expanse of rock, the trail began to climb upward. I had read there were rocks along the way, but luckily it wasn't really a scramble. The rocks were large and sturdy, almost like a poorly cobbled road. 

At the top, we got our view of the falls! It's true this trail doesn't get up close and personal to the falls like at Franklin, but the view was gorgeous and did not disappoint. 

We stopped to eat and enjoy it. I noticed quite a few hikers along the top of the falls, and some were coming down the opposite direction we'd taken, so I do think you can continue around the entire falls if you're up for it.

After eating, we made our way back down. The descent was tricky in spots but not too difficult.

I highly recommend this hike. It's hard to beat one that's only an hour away, has well-maintained bathrooms and cell service, and offers just the right amount of challenge and views. I'm sure I'll be back on a day Matt can join.

Ali