Franklin Falls Hike For a Family of 5

Hiking Level: Moderate Traffic Level: High most times, go before 10am

Good for kids? YES! Steep include toward the end – but worth the waterfall excitement.

Franklin Falls is a stunning hiking destination for a family with kids because there are 3 tiers of waterfalls that await them at the end. The final destination is rewarding for all the hiking work. The kids will be excited I promise!

A few recommendations:

1. Download an app called ‘All Trails’ I found it has the most accurate maps of our trails and reviews in real time so you can see if the trail is muddy or still has snow on it etc., BEFORE you pack up your entire family and head over. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/franklin-falls-trail
2. Once you park there are actually 2 trails – Franklin Falls and Denny Creek. First time I accidently took Denny Creek, its cool also… but I should have been paying better attention!
3. Definately hit the bathrooms before the hike!
4. Strange tip – but pack something sweet or energy building. For little folks under the age of 8, a little snack or sugar at about half a mile is needed. Honestly, we pack bite sized chocolate. I saw another hiker mother who packed ‘Power Pellets’ she had a story that they were magic bursts to help hikers (shhh! they were really orange flavored Tic-Tacs)
5. Take breaks all the time! No one is winning a medal, my husband always says…. encourage everyone to stop and have explore time. Either by the creek or off to the side of the trail. Bring water and snacks. You can even bring a sketch pad and colored pencils and encourage everyone to create what they see. Or another task is collect a walking stick. Take a break and send a scout out to try and find walking sticks.

Back to Franklin Falls…
We have done this hike three times as a family of 5. We started when our youngest was 6 and our oldest 13. The drive down depending on which way you go… can be kinda scary honestly.

The first part of the trail is so exciting because Denny Creek has waterfalls of its own happening. Denny Creek is clear and strong and just stunning.

Another idea…. We really loved the area Denny Creek Trail and Franklin Falls Trail so much we decided to camp at Denny Creek Camp Ground to experience an entire weekend of it all. I will blog about that camping experience, but something for you to consider if you like camping!