Olallie State Park is a hit with the kids in any season

Olallie State Park has sweeping mountain views, waterfalls, hiking, biking, and rock climbing. And its convenient location near Interstate 90 makes it an ideal destination for outdoor fun.

We took two trips to Olallie State Park, one in mid-September, at the end of a typical Seattle summer. Our second trip was on a Sunday afternoon in November to hike the Twin Falls trail. Cool and rainy, the Snoqualmie river’s rush of water was uninviting and offered a different experience than what we had earlier in the year. We trudged through the mud, climbed steep hills and jumped puddles on our hike and had fun doing it.

Whatever the season, we recommend Olallie State Park.

September visit

Around 45 minutes outside of Seattle, Olallie State Park is an oasis of old-growth forests and plenty of greenery. Right off the highway exit, we saw many cars parked on the side of the road with hikers entering various trail heads. Heading past the state park sign and near the ranger station we turned into a gravel parking lot. There’s plenty of parking in addition to two other lots up and down the street. You need a Discover Pass to park, which you can get online or in a machine at the lot.

My kids jumped out of the car and headed to a small trail leading down to the river. We saw some other families enjoying their time.

We chose one of the six picnic tables available. Under the trees and near the river, it was a perfect spot for dining. Grills are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There’s a portable toilet in the parking lot.

After lunch, we walked around a large field to the left of the gravel parking lot, taking pictures and climbing large logs around the perimeter. The field is a great place to play games, kick a ball around, or run to get your wiggles out. In warmer months, we’ve brought bocce ball or badminton.

The Snoqualmie River

Photo by Jasmin Thankachen

The river is filled with rocks of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Nikhil and Simon found the best rocks to toss further downstream, testing to see how deep the pools of water were in certain areas.

“This one’s great for skipping,” said Simon.

The water was amazingly clear and very cool. We dipped our fingers in to feel the chill, but that didn’t stop us from taking off our socks and shoes for a walk to the small boulders planted in various spots. “I wish I had brought my water shoes,” observed Nikhil.

The rocks were cold and slippery. The water was shallow for most of the way, but we had to be careful of deeper dips and navigate carefully around them.

Taking a seat on these rocks was a treat. The sound of water flowing and birds quickly skimming the surface was delightful. Soon after, we returned to the parking lot to take a short hike to one of the nearest waterfalls: Weeks Falls.

Weeks Falls hike

We walked through a shaded, green, old-growth forest on a wide and well-maintained path. We admired the height of the trees and stopped to sit on large tree stumps and explore various forest animal habitats. At one stop, we squeezed through a tight tunnel naturally produced at the trunk of a towering spruce tree.

“There are so many spider webs! I’m not going all the way in,” said Nikhil.

The end of the trail leads to a paved sidewalk, past blackberry and salmonberry bushes. To the left, you’ll see the hydroelectric project, and on the right, you’ll find an outhouse (open). Further up, we reached the viewpoint and watched up close at a furiously falling waterfall plunged into a green pool.

Exploring the river

Interpretive signs explain the hydroelectric project. A steep set of stairs near the powerhouse leads to an observation deck. There, you can see large pipes in the river and a gateway system used to direct water.

The final part of our late summer outing took us back to the shores of the Snoqualmie River. It was getting even cooler as the evening set in, but we were determined to check out the enormous boulder in the middle of the river near the entrance.

We climbed up the rock and sat admiring the view. After some silly poses for the camera, we scaled the slippery rocks to the other side. We explored a nearby sandy shore, then looked at tiny translucent fish and tried to catch a couple of water bugs.

Twin Falls Hike

Photo by Jasmin Thankachen

One of the most popular trails at Olallie State Park, the Twin Falls hike, is a day trip in itself. It’s a moderate 3.6-mile hike. The trailhead is located on a dead-end road, accompanied by a small parking lot. You need a Discover Pass to park.

We came here on a cold and rainy Sunday afternoon in November. The parking lot was packed, and no one seemed to mind the late weekend hour or the rainy weather. A heavily trafficked path, we navigated the narrow trail, moving aside and letting others pass by.

Walking through an old-growth forest, we found many areas to climb over rocks and down paths to the river’s shore. To get through the mud, muck, rocks, and root-strewn paths, sturdy hiking shoes or rain boots are recommended.

A twenty-minute walk on level ground leads you past a large (climbable) boulder and up a steep hill. We marched up in a single file line, resting at the top. Follow the path up to a viewpoint with two benches. One of the benches was missing a seat, exposing the hill’s edge. Be careful at this spot while enjoying the breathtaking Twin Falls view. You’ll see the entire falls from this vantage point, and you may want to stop for a little while and then turn back.

Drenched and muddy

Photo by Jasmin Thankachen

We decided to forge ahead to see the lower falls as well, climbing another steep hill and then down through an even rockier trail. We passed over a smaller bridge, many steps, and a large fallen tree (be sure to check out the exposed roots) and then onto another longer bridge. This was a great place for a quick selfie, and then we climbed up the stairs to see another view of the waterfalls.

At this point we were exhausted, drenched and muddy. Benches provide a space to rest, hydrate, and have snacks. “Do we have to walk back?” both Nikhil and Simon asked.

Mustering up all our strength, we headed back. On the way, we passed a set of stairs leading to another viewpoint, which was the closest you could get to the lower part of the falls. At 104 steps, we decided that it would be an adventure for another day.

We finally reached the parking lot and followed a small path to the river’s shore. We sat on a boulder, resting our boots in the water and cooling off in the breeze. It was a tougher hike than expected, but the view was worth the effort.

After an exciting and tiresome day, we got back into our car. Chiming in with their favorite parts of the hike, “I loved climbing the big wedge rock,” said Nikhil and “I wanna come back!” said Simon. Olallie State Park is one destination that you don’t want to miss.