During my explorations into the film location for Twin Peaks, there are certain scenes and spots that I’ve understood I may never find. One of those spots was a transition scene of a river used in seasons 1 and 2. I figured it was shot in Washington State, but I never thought I’d actually locate the spot. That all changed in October 2019 during an early morning excursion to Monroe, Washington.
WHERE IS THE RIVER IN MONROE, WASHINGTON LOCATED?
I originally set out to photograph the Palmer House exterior in Monroe which was seen several times throughout the first two seasons. The home exterior switched to a house in Everett, Washington for Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me and Season 3. During my visit, I took a few quick photos of the Palmer house then noticed a park across the street with giant trees.
AL BORLIN PARK (BUCK ISLAND PARK)
Located at 529-515 WA-203 in Monroe, these trees were part of what I later discovered to be Al Borlin Park. I ventured across the street to photograph the tall, majestic trees before spotting a trail down to a river.
The park was originally called Buck Island Park before being renamed in the early 2000s (perhaps around 2002). According to the park’s website, the park is one of the oldest parks in Monroe:
“Al Borlin Park is the largest Monroe Park at 90 acres and among one of the oldest. A peninsula formed by the Skykomish River and Woods Creek, the park is thickly wooded and crisscrossed with a 1.2-mile network of soft-surface gravel trails. The park offers stunning viewpoints of the wild river and bald eagles in their natural habitat.”
Mr. Borlin was born in Monroe on March 7, 1911 and died on December 5, 1976. He graduated from Monroe High School in 1930, earned his B.A. degree in agriculture education at Washington State College in 1941. According to VacationShop.com, he had a long history in the region both as an educator, a public servant and an advisor to the Monroe Future Farmers of America Chapter.
“Mr. Borlin’s career as a professional educator spanned 26 years in Monroe until his retirement in 1971. Upon that occasion the city declared an ‘Allan Borlin Day’ at which time he was honored for his local, state and national accomplishments.
Allan Borlin was always active in educational and community affairs, including 25 years as a director of the Evergreen State Fair and as a member of the Monroe Kiwanis Club. He served as a Monroe city councilman from 1964 to January 1973 when he was named pro-tem mayor for the duration of 1973. He was re-elected to the city council in 1974 and was serving with distinction as the head of the streets and parks committee at the time of his death. With the cooperation of many people, his love of flowers and landscaping has given Monroe parks and parkways a state-wide reputation for beauty.”
EXPLORING AL BORLIN PARK
During my 2019 visits to Washington State, I captured a lot of video footage so I thought this area would be another opportunity to record more nature scenes that I could play in my home.
I ventured down a small gravel path and crossed a bridge over the Skykomish River. The image above is looking north from the bridge.
When I turned my camera lens south, I immediate spotted something that looked familiar. Notice the rapids along the left side of the river above.
As I crossed the bridge, my mouth dropped open.
I felt the same sensation that Special Agent Dale Cooper must have felt when he discovered a letter under the fingernail of Laura Palmer – “Oh my God, here it is!”
It’s the same river from the atmospheric scenes article I wrote at the beginning of September 2019.
The coordinates for this location are 47°50’55.4″N 121°58’12.3″W.
There were two different “Missing Pieces” shared in those Atmospheric Scenes – same river but different coloration.
Yet the river actually appears in the series!
THE RIVER FROM EPISODE 1.004
We first see this river in episode 1.004 shortly before Benjamin Horne meets Leo Johnson in the woods for a secret meeting.
Here is a similar shot of the river from my visit.
THE RIVER FROM EPISODE 2.001
Shortly after the credits finish in episode 2.001, the same river is shown from episode 1.004 but the image is reversed.
THE RIVER FROM EPISODE 2.002
It reappears in episode 2.002 just before Bobby and Shelly listen to music in his car.
THE RIVER FROM EPISODE 2.006
The river makes one final appearance in episode 2.006 using a similar shot from episode 1.004.
It would make sense that the crew captured more than just the Palmer House exterior in Monroe. They were probably charged with getting atmospheric footage from Washington state that could be used throughout the first two seasons of Twin Peaks.
It’s not the only thing they captured in Monroe. Check out the Clarance C. Devers Bridge that makes an appearance in a deleted scene from the 2014 Blu-ray set.
Finally, enjoy this short video of the Skykomish river running through Monroe or “Twin Peaks.”
I’m not sure what drew me across the street, but I’m so glad that the “presence in the woods” directed me to this spot.
