One of the most popular activities during a visit to Snoqualmie Valley, Washington is visiting the many film locations for David Lynch and Mark Frost’s groundbreaking television series and feature film, Twin Peaks and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. It’s one of my most popular pages on Twin Peaks Blog. For the first Real Twin Peaks event held in February 2023, the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce hired Washington state artist Todd Gamble to create a hand-drawn film locations map and set of trading cards to help attendees visit these spots. The map and cards were sold in select locations in the towns of North Bend and Snoqualmie.
THE REAL TWIN PEAKS LOCATIONS MAP BY TODD GAMBLE
The Real Twin Peaks 2023 event was held Feb. 24-26 in Snoqualmie Valley, Washington. This celebration of the towns were Lynch and Frost filmed their masterpiece was filled with discussion panels, film screenings, music and more. To drive visitation to various businesses in the region, the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce commissioned Todd Gamble, a Washington state resident since 2000, to design a map featuring key filming location. The image above with Chamber CEO Kelly Coughlin and Gamble holding the map outside North Bend Trading Co. in North Bend was posted on the chamber’s Facebook page on Feb. 24.
Location maps were offered for $10.00 or $15.00 for one with an autography. Nine trading cards were sold either for $3.00 each or $5.00 each with autographs. The cards were offered at the historic North Bend Theatre, North Bend Trading Co. or the Snoqualmie Trading Co.
Event co-sponsor the North Bend Downtown Foundation posted a similar advertisement for the cards on their Facebook page on Feb. 22, 2023. Unlike the chamber image which repeated two card images, the Foundation’s post contained all nine card images.
Printed versions of the advertisements appeared in locations carrying the cards, such as the North Bend Theatre lobby shown above.
The Chamber posted images of Todd signing the posters at the North Bend Theatre while theatre manager Britni Larson looked on.
Todd was also seen signing posters at the North Bend Trading Co. According to a Snoqualmie Valley Record article from Aug. 17, 2012, Gamble had previously shared his artwork “his handiwork in the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum’s magazine, in regional model train sets, international board games, and, for the last few years, in the posters and maps that promote Snoqualmie Railroad Days.”
He maintains a blog – The Art of Todd Gamble – which showcases his talents for building miniatures.
More than a decade ago, Gamble felt compelled to share his artwork with the local community, especially helping local merchants and organizations.
“Somebody should always be there to help the community,” he told the Snoqualmie Valley Record. “I’m in a place to do that. I’m glad to do anything for my community.”
For the Real Twin Peaks Event, visitors could spot his map artwork in shop windows throughout the towns.
Inside Snoqualmie Trading Co., both signed and unsigned maps were displayed. Only three of the nine trading cards were found in each location.
Here is the printed 11-inch by 14-inch map which contained 14 film locations in the region.
According to text from the Sno-Valley Chamber, the map contained “filming locations for the Twin Peaks Pilot, Seasons 1-2, Fire Walk With Me and The Return in an around the Snoqualmie Valley, Washington (and a few just beyond). Private homes have been excluded with respect to the owners. Most of these [locations] are active businesses or public parks, so please be careful and respectful when visiting the locations of Snoqualmie Valley. For more updated information, please visit www.snovalley.org.”
This is the same map with Todd’s autograph – a simple “TG” along the bottom. In the upper left corner contained disclaimers printed in green: “Artist concept. Map not to scale. Novelty Map. Not Responsible for inaccurate GPS 2023.” Look carefully throughout the map to spot hidden Owl Cave symbols in the location sketches.
For the Real Twin Peaks 2024 event, smaller versions of Todd’s map were created and sold in a cardboard box.
Artwork, disclaimers and text were the same as the 2023 maps, except these rolled where as the original maps were printed on higher-quality paper. I had to ship mine home in Feb. 2023 using a flat box from UPS to ensure they weren’t bent. In 2024, I easily packed the cardboard box in my suitcase.
THE REAL TWIN PEAKS LOCATIONS TRADING CARDS BY TODD GAMBLE
Let’s explore the map and it’s trading cards. Only nine of the 14 locations had cards produced, so I’ll focus on those first. Other locations without cards will be discussed next. I’ll include links to Twin Peaks Blog article about these locations where applicable.
1. GIANT LOG FROM OPENING CREDITS (PILOT & S2 PREMIERE)
The first location is the Giant Log from Opening Credits which is known as the Centennial Log. It’s located on Railroad Avenue in Snoqualmie, WA, and the printed coordinates are 47.529892, -121.826644. Notes: From Pilot and Season 2 opening credits.
This is the autographed version of the Giant Log card.
2. ELK’S POINT #9 (RETURN)
The second location on the map is for Elk’s Point #9 bar seen in Twin Peaks Part 14. In reality, Smokey Joe’s Tavern located at 38600 SE King St., Snoqualmie, WA served as the film location for this haunting scene with Sarah Palmer. Printed coordinates are 47.5287389 -121.82624520000002.
3. GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL EXTERIOR (PILOT, S1, S2)
The third location is Salish Lodge & Spa located at 6501 Railroad Ave Snoqualmie, WA. This location served as the Great Northern Hotel exterior seen in the pilot, season 1 and season 2. There is also a brief establishing shot seen in The Return. Printed coordinates are 47.5420817, -121.83651329999998.
Notes: Valet is for hotel and restaurant guests only. Parking is $5, or free if you park across Railroad Avenue. Please use the walkway (shown above from my first visit in August 1996).
4. WHITETAIL FALLS (PILOT, S1, S2, RETURN, FWWM)
Snoqualmie Falls (known as Whitetail Falls in Twin Peaks) is located on Railroad Ave – next to Salish Lodge & Spa in Snoqualmie, WA. The printed coordinates are 47.5417° N, 121.8377° W. Notes: There is a fee for parking, or free if you park across Railroad Avenue.
This is the autographed card by Todd of Whitetail Falls.
5. ‘WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS’ SIGN (PILOT, S1, S2, RETURN, FWWM)
The trading card for the ‘Welcome to Twin Peaks‘ sign spot which is located at 41433 SE Reinig Road in Snoqualmie, WA. The printed coordinates are 47.525452, -121.785446.
This is the autographed version of the ‘Welcome to Twin Peaks” sign card.
6. PACKARD SAW MILL & TWIN PEAKS SHERIFF’S DEPT. (PILOT, S1, S2, RETURN)
The sixth location on the map has two trading cards. The first one is the Packard Saw Mill which was the former Snoqualmie Lumber Company saw mill located at 7001 396th Dr. SE in Snoqualmie, WA. The printed coordinates are 47.537914, -121.811492.
Here is the autographed version of this card.
The second card is for the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Department which is also found at the sawmill site. This former mill office building was constructed in 1948. Today, the building is home to Dirtfish Rally School.
This is the same card with Todd’s autograph.
7. TWIN PEAKS BRIDGE (RETURN)
The Twin Peaks Bridge card features the Meadowbrook Bridge located on Meadowbrook Way SE in Snoqualmie, WA. The printed coordinates are 47.52681, -121.812192023. The map notes this bridge is only found in The Return, specifically it’s in Part 18. The bridge, however, is also seen in the Twin Peaks pilot and is in the background of the Fat Trout Trailer Park in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.
This is the autographed card of the Twin Peaks Bridge. It’s noted this is a one lane bridge in which access across is controlled by a stoplight.
8. BIG ED’S GAS FARM (PILOT)
The location that served as the exterior of Big Ed’s Gas Farm in the pilot is located at 8606 Preston-Fall City Rd SE Preston, WA. The printed coordinates are 47.523720 -121.927302. At the time of press for the map, the building was listed as “Currently Empty.” During my visit in August 2023, the building was occupied by Balloon Designers, the work of business partners, Steve Jones and Alexa Rivera who specialize in creating balloon decor for all types of weddings, parties, launches, and galas.
9. THE ROADHOUSE EXTERIOR (PILOT, S1, S2, RETURN, FWWM)
The Roadhouse Restaurant and Inn is featured on this trading card for the ninth map location. The historic building that opened in 1916 is located at 4200 Preston-Fall City Rd SE Fall City, WA. In Twin Peaks, the building’s exterior served as the Roadhouse exterior. Notes on the card state “Exterior only. View is from north side parking lot. (Left side of the building).” The printed coordinates are 47.567271, -121.887696.
This is the autographed Roadhouse card which has a view not seen in the show. The center column on the building is remnants of a chimney.
10. DOUBLE R DINER (PILOT, FWWM, RETURN)
The Double R Diner is featured on the card featuring Twede’s Cafe located at 137 W. North Bend Way, North Bend, WA. The printed coordinates are 47.49514260000001,-121.7868641. At the time of filming in 1989, the cafe was named the Mar-T Cafe and owned by Pat Cokewell.
Today, Rachel and Max are the proud owners of this iconic small town diner where pies go when they die. Did you know you can have their iconic pie shipped directly to your home using Goldbelly?
Todd Gamble autographed this card featuring the diner. Following the tremendous success of the show in April 1990, Cokewell added a temporary banner to the building advertising the location was home to Twin Peaks cherry pie. The banner eventually became something painted on the diner exterior as seen in the artwork above.
11. RUN SILENT, RUN DRAPES (RETURN)
The eleventh location is Volition Brewing Co. which was the exterior location used for Nadine Butler Hurley’s Run Silent, Run Drapes in Twin Peaks: The Return. The award-winning local craft brewery is located at 112W North Bend Way North Bend, WA. The printed coordinates are 47.4953,-121.78604000000001.
During the Real Twin Peaks event, they offer a delicious Golden Shovel Ale. After a few, I’m shoveling my way out of anything including this sh…
12. BLUE DIAMOND MOTEL (FWWM), THE DUTCHMAN’S (RETURN)
The Mt. Si Motel is featured in the twelfth spot on the locations map. This Mid-Century motel was used as two different locations – the Red Diamond City Motel in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and the Dutchman’s from Part 15 of Twin Peaks: The Return. The printed coordinates are 47.4841644-121.76260719999999.
In Lynch’s feature film, Leland Palmer meets Teresa Banks in Room 123 at the Red Diamond City Motel (which is actually room 6 at the Mount Si Motel). Interestingly, both early draft and August 8, 1991 scripts state this location is the Blue Diamond City Motel. It’s unclear what changed, but I wonder if the giant diamond with red neon lights used to cover the “Mt. Si” was a factor. Ultimately, “Red Diamond City Motel” only appears on screen but never in the script.
The map mentions Room 6 as being Laura’s/Ronette/Theresa’s room. One wall is still painted like the set from FWWM.
Room 8 exterior was seen in Part 15 as The Dutchman’s Lodge.
13. MURDER TRAIN CAR (PILOT, FWWM)
The 13th location on the map is place that no longer exists – the murder train car from the pilot at Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. The map notes the location was destroyed and no longer recognizable. The printed coordinates are 47.535028, -121.845389 which the map indicates is an “APPROXIMATE LOCATION!!!”
The map explains why this location no longer exists – “When the Pilot was filmed, Snoqualmie Parkway was not yet constructed. The Parkway exists along what was the railroad.”
The location directions further indicate there were TWO train cars – “The pilot train car (also seen in FWWM) was destroyed in the 90s. The second train car with a sliding door, as seen in FWWM when the One-Armed Man attempts to rescue the girls, currently sits in Astoria, OR.”
I have yet to confirm the supposed location in Astoria, Oregon. The interior seen in both the series and feature film were constructed on sets in Southern California.
I attempted to visit the train car spot from the pilot and it is truly unrecognizable. The train graveyard that once existed there was replaced by a neighborhood.
14. COOPER’S “TRIM VICTORIAN STYLE ON CHATAUGUA LANE”
The final location is the Trim Victorian Style home on Chataugua Lane which is one of the prospective properties Special Agent Dale Cooper reviews in Twin Peaks episode 2.012. In reality it’s the Snoqualmie Depot and home of the Northwest Railway Museum located at 38625 SE King St Snoqualmie, WA. The printed coordinates are 47.5285125, -121.8256682.
Hopefully, this article will help you on your next visit to Washington state. You can see even more film locations by visiting a dedicated page on this site. You can DOWNLOAD high-resolution images of the locations map and trading cards from my Flickr account.
Is there any way to buy these and have them shipped
Unfortunately, I don’t see them available on the Snoqualmie Trading Co. website. There was a smaller reprinted version of the map in 2024. I’m assuming the map may be available at the upcoming Real Twin Peaks 2025 event. Here is the online shop for the trading company: https://www.snoqualmietradingco.com
You can find high-resolution scans of the map and cards on my Flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/aloha75/albums/72177720323703016/