Morning at Snoqualmie Falls Lower Observation Point in Washington

With every trip to the Real Twin Peaks of Snoqualmie Valley, Washington, I look for new places to explore. In August 2025, I visited the lower observation point of the majestic and sacred Snoqualmie Falls in Snoqualmie, Washington. This short walk down a wooden boardwalk along the Snoqualmie River revels a breathtaking scene.

WHERE IS SNOQUALMIE FALLS LOWER OBSERVATION POINT LOCATED?

The lower observation point of Snoqualmie Falls is located at 37479 SE Fish Hatchery Road in Fall City, Washington. There are two ways to access this area, either driving and parking in the adjacent parking lot or there is a trail from the upper Snoqualmie Falls Park. I took the latter during a visit in October 2019 but the boardwalk area of the observation point was closed.

TIP FOR VISITING – Plan to arrive early during the busy summer season or on weekends. I attempted a visit in the afternoon during my August trip and there were too many people along the trail. The trail is open from dawn to dusk, so I returned shortly after 7:00 a..m. on a Tuesday and found no one around.

There is a small gravel trail leading from the parking lot down to the lower observation point.

Along that gravel trail, you’ll see Snoqualmie Falls Hydroelectric Plant #2 which was constructed in 1910 along the right bank of the Snoqualmie River. This power plant receives water from a small reservoir created by a weir atop the 268-foot waterfall.

Civil Engineer Charles H. Baker envisioned the plant in the late 1800s as he regularly passed Snoqualmie Falls during his work as an engineer for the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway. With funding from his family, to include his father, wealthy businessman William T. Baker, he formed the Snoqualmie Falls Power Company and purchased the falls and surrounding land in 1897. 

In 1903 Seattle Electric Company acquired Snoqualmie Falls Power Company. The death of William Baker and financial difficulties that same year ended Charles Baker’s stake in the plant. Plant #2 was eventually expanded in 1957 and together both plants have 54 megawatts of generating capacity.

Baker also constructed the Baker Building in downtown Seattle, which served as “electrical substation that would receive the power generated at the falls and distribute it to the growing fleet of street cars in Seattle and Tacoma and ultimately to businesses and homes.” This building was used as the exterior of Horne’s Department Store in Twin Peaks episodes 1.005 and 1.006.

VIEWS FROM SNOQUALMIE FALLS LOWER OBSERVATION POINT

Here is a 25-minute video of both Snoqualmie Falls and the nearby Snoqualmie River from my early morning visit. It’s the perfect ambient video to transport you to this sacred space.

The wooden structure hugs along the hillside affording spectacular views of the flowing river and the fantastic trees. It’s no wonder Special Agent Dale Cooper quickly fell in love with this town.

Rounding the corner, there is a small wooden observation deck that perfectly frames Snoqualmie Falls. While Baker may have purchased the falls in the late 1890s, the Snoqualmie Tribe has lived her for ages.  It is believed that Moon the Transformer created the falls and the first Snoqualmie people at this sacred spot.

Part of the story is shared in an exhibit titled, “Our Story Is the Story of the Falls,” at the Snoqualmie Falls Gift Shop and Visitors Center.

“He was the Transformer. He went on a great journey. During his travels he changed everything – plants for healing, food to eat, the land for the people, On each river, he created a people to care for and protect that river for all time.

When he came upon a huge fish weir that Raven had built, he turned the weir to stone and the thundering water rushing over it became Snoqualmie Falls.

There, the Transformer, Moon, created the first Snoqualmie man and woman. He then climbed back into the sky to his Star father’s people, where he can still be seen today. He provides light through darkness through the hole his Snoqualmie mother made with her digging stick.”

You can feel the power of Snoqualmie Falls even from hundreds of yards away. The trees obscure the Salish Lodge & Spa perched above the falls, so one can pretend this is what the tribe and early explorers must have seen before the hotel was constructed in 1916.

The land throughout Snoqualmie Valley, especially around the waterfall, is incredibly important to the Snoqualmie Tribe. You can learn more about what you can do to protect, respect and restore it on the Snoqualmie Tribe Ancestral Land Movement website.