Top 10 Waterfall Hikes near Seattle for Families

Since moving to Washington, we have been on a mission to hike to as many waterfalls as we can. With two toddlers, ages 2 and 3.5, I try to do my research to make sure it is a hike that they can handle, or that we can handle while wearing them. These are my top 10 waterfall hikes for families near Seattle, WA, plus a bonus. These hikes are anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours away from Seattle, and most of them require a parking fee or pass, based on the type of park they’re in. Don’t forget to bring cash just in case the parking machines are down. All of these family-friendly waterfall hikes are easy to find, and have good signage and trail markings. These hikes are great for kids of all ages, whether they’re walking or being carried. I’ve linked the Washington Trail Association (WTA) page for each specific hike if you’re interested in more details.

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1. Big Four Ice Caves

Distance: 2.2 miles roundtrip | Location: Granite Falls, WA in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (Northern end) | WTA details here

This is one of my favorite hikes in Washington. It’s not too strenuous of a hike at just 2.2 miles roundtrip and the elevation gain is only around 200ft. Our 2 and 3 year olds can easily do this hike out of the carriers if they want to walk. The well kept trail leads you over a few bridges and through the forest, before spitting you out at this beautiful opening of cascading waterfalls that feels like something out of Jurassic Park.

This area is an avalanche run during the winter. In spring and summer, as the ice melts, a waterfall runs through the back of the snow, and ice caves are formed. FYI it gets pretty cold when your down by all that snow, even when it’s a hotter summer day. But the caves aren’t safe to enter and there’s plenty of signage reminding hikers along the way. There are some cool pictures and videos on Instagram though, taken by some risk takers.

The parking lot is pretty easy to find and there’s good signage, but you’ll probably lose service along the way. It’s pretty deep into the national park, so definitely bring some snacks and lunch for the kids since there’s nowhere nearby to stop.

2. Silver Falls Loop

Distance: 3 miles roundtrip | Location: Packwood, WA in Mount Rainier National Park | WTA details here

This is the biggest/strongest waterfall on this list and it is definitely one you can’t miss. This is a great hike with the kids, but there are a few ledges on the trail, so just be aware if you aren’t carrying your kids. But for the most part, the trail is wide and easy for kids of all ages. The hike along the Ohanapecosh River is gorgeous and has several small waterfalls along the way, but the main attraction is Silver Falls. The water from the falls is an icy blue I haven’t seen on any of our other hikes before. This is a loop trail, but we noticed a lot of people turned around to go back the way they came, on the side of the trail east of the river. We did the full loop, but the trail on the east side of the river is prettier than the second half of the loop on the west side in my opinion.

If you’re looking for a longer trek, instead of completing the loop right after the falls, you could continue 0.9 miles from the falls and go do the 1.5 mile Grove of Patriarchs hike too.

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3. Marymere Falls

Distance: 1.8 miles roundtrip | Location: Port Angeles, WA in Olympic National Park | WTA details here

This short hike along Lake Crescent leads to a magical waterfall that is one of my favorites in Washington. There’s a nice ranger station at the start of the hike where you can stop by and learn about the area. Once the hike starts, you get a nice view of Lake Crescent before entering a short tunnel to kick off the trail. There are some cute bridges along the way, and a rocky river “beach” area that’s nice to stop and play along. Our son walked this whole hike when he was just 18 months, except for the short semi-steep climb up to view the falls.

The Marymere Falls trailhead is just down the street from Lake Crescent Lodge, which you may recognize from this post about our day trip to the Olympic Peninsula. I highly recommend you stop by for lunch or play along the shore while you’re in the area.

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4. Franklin Falls

Distance: 2 miles roundtrip | Location: Snoqualmie Pass, WA in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (Southern end) | WTA details here

This is another short and easy hike the whole family can enjoy that goes along the South Fork Snoqualmie River. There are quite a few steps on this hike, so it can be a little tiring if you go at the beginning of the season when you’re not in great hiking shape (like we did the first time…haha). The waterfall is pretty and you can even walk down to get closer to it if you want, and have a picnic or just enjoy the view.

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5. Twin Falls

Distance: 2.6 miles roundtrip | Location: North Bend, WA in Olallie State Park | WTA details here

I like this hike a lot because there are several good turn around points if your kids are having an off day. There’s several view points of Twin Falls, starting with a bench area to see the falls from a distance. It’s a pretty spot for a picture, but my favorite spot is a little ways past the bench and down the hill. When you get down that hill, there’s a really big tree and the trail continues left. As you continue along the trail, there are a few unofficial paths you’ll see on your right that head towards the river. This is my favorite part of this hike. If you go down to the river, there’s some big boulder rocks in the water that you can climb out to for a nice view of the falls.

If you continue on the main trail, there’s some steps that take you up to a midway viewpoint of the falls. And then if you continue along the trail just a little bit longer, you’ll make it up to the bridge that looks over the falls. There’s one more viewpoint that’s a steep climb from the bridge, but we like turning back after the bridge.

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6. Denny Creek / Keekwulee Falls

Distance: 6 miles roundtrip | Location: Snoqualmie Pass, WA in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (Southern end) | WTA details here

This is a really fun hike to do with the family because there are natural waterslides to play in early on in the hike. The hike to the falls is a little far and gets pretty rocky. We didn’t go all the way to the top of the falls, but we still got some good views of it. The kids loves the natural waterslide area and I would go back just for that part alone. This trailhead is also right by the Franklin Falls trailhead too, so you could easily knock out two hikes if you have a day to spend in the area.

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7. Sol Duc Falls

Distance: 1.6 miles roundtrip | Location: Port Angeles, WA in Olympic National Park | WTA details here

This is about a 30 minute drive from Marymere Falls, mentioned above. So if you’re staying in the area, or there for a long day, you could easily hit both on your trip. We’ve stayed at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, which you’ll pass on your way to the trailhead. The resort is a good place to stop if you need to buy a snack or drink.

8. Wallace Falls

Distance: 5.6 miles roundtrip | Location: Gold Bar, WA along Stevens Pass | WTA details here

This a good, wide trail for a family hike with three different main view points of the falls. This hike does have a gradual elevation gain of 1,300ft, so it’s a good workout, but not too steep. The trail is well-kept and nice and wide, which I appreciate when hiking with the kids.

9. Weeks Falls

Distance: 1.6 miles roundtrip | Location: North Bend, WA in Olallie State Park | WTA details here

This hike is incredibly easy and short and leads to a really cool waterfall. This is a great hike for younger kids and toddlers, or those who may not be in good health or shape for a longer hike. There’s even a small parking area right before the falls you could park at if you really don’t want to do the full hike.

10. Snoqualmie Falls

Distance: 1.4 miles roundtrip | Location: North Bend, WA near Snoqualmie | WTA details here

This was our very first hike when we moved to Washington, and it’s one of the most visited waterfalls in the state. What’s nice about this hike is that you can skip the hike entirely if you just want a quick view of the waterfall by parking at the upper falls lot. Or, you can do the full hike down from the top of the falls to the bottom. Or, you can park at the lower falls lot and do a very short walk by the old power plant and get a view of the falls from below. There’s a lot of options depending on what you’re in the mood for. Check out my first hiking post here to Snoqualmie Falls.

Bonus Hike

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Wynoochee Falls

Distance: 1 mile roundtrip | Location: Montesano, WA in Olympic National Park | WTA details here

This is a very short hike, but leads to a gorgeous destination. There’s a little rock “island” that you can walk out onto to get a closer look at the falls. My kids loved looking at all the different colored rocks. Just a heads up, we lost service shortly after getting off US-12, so I recommend you save directions prior to your trip because your GPS probably won’t work once you’re 45 minutes away from the falls.

Also, there’s another short waterfall hike nearby you could check out while you’re in the area, called Maidenhair Falls.

Our Hiking Necessities

Here are some of the things we bring on every hike with the kids:

• Hiking backpack carrier – here
• Front baby carrier (when our son was smaller, now he’s in a backpack carrier as well) – here
• Water bottles for the kids that don’t leak – here
• Adult water bottles – here
• The All Trails app for detailed trail maps (Download it before you go)
• And never forget your snacks!

I would love to hear if you and your family decide to go on any of these hikes!

xx

Kirsten

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