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The seemingly incorrectly named Twin Falls is the tallest waterfall along the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River and the third tallest among any branch of the Snoqualmie after Kanim Falls and Snoqualmie Falls. Twin Falls actually consists of three primary sections of falls which are often referred to as individual waterfalls (the opinion of the Survey is that they are too close together to be considered individual entries). The first two tiers drop about 45 feet into a large bowl, the upper fall being mostly obstructed from view by the shape of the gorge. The next series is a two-stepped 30 foot fall that is visible upstream from the long bridge crossing the river. A 20 foot fall can be seen directly beneath the bridge but can't really be seen from anywhere else. Finally the big drop, a curvaceous 135 foot horsetail that slams into an undercut cliff face as it veils down a very bulbous protrusion of rock. A misleading sign at the trailhead states the South Fork drops 454 feet within the State Park, but this figure stems from the fact that Twin Falls has been harnessed for hydroelectric production. The intake is well upstream of the falls, so while the volume of the river is greatly reduced for most of the year, there is no visual indication that man has interfered with the river. The tailrace can be seen bubbling up in a large pool about 1/2 mile from the trailhead. Though the river is fairly large, because of the hydro project, the falls often lose a lot of their luster late in the summer, so save this one for a winter hike since snow is only sometimes a concern at such a low elevation.
- Twin Falls is the Official name of this waterfall.
- Known Alternate Names: Upper Snoqualmie Falls, Upper Falls, Middle Twin Falls, Upper Twin Falls
Twin Falls was first known as Upper Snoqualmie Falls, or sometimes just Upper Falls. The name Twin Falls likely stems from the observed appearance of two distinct drops seen from the ridge to the west (when the trail was initially built, it didn't go all the way to the top of the falls). Previous versions of this website, as well as many books, have listed the two upper sections of the falls as Middle and Upper Twin Falls.
Drive east on I-90 to Exit 34 (Edgewick road), and turn right at the intersection. Just before the road crosses the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River, the entrance road to the state park turns off to your left. Drive to the end of the road and park. Hike in on the very well developed trail for about 3/4 of a mile to the first view of Twin Falls, which is somewhat distant. Continue along the trail for less than 1/2 of a mile to a short spur that leads to the overlook of the lower tier, or continue climbing another tenth of a mile to the bridge spanning the gorge and the other two tiers.
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