Snoqualmie Falls

Snoqualmie Falls is a 268 ft waterfall on the Snoqualmie River.   It is one of Washington's most popular scenic attractions but we really didn’t think it would be so crowded.  Most of the river is diverted into the power plants, but at times the river is high enough to flow across the entire precipice, which creates an almost blinding spray. High water occurs following a period of heavy rains or snow followed by warm rainy weather. This can occur during the rainy season which lasts from November through March. During high water, the falls take on a curtain form. 

                                                                                  

There are two hydroelectric power plants at Snoqualmie Falls, both currently operated by Puget Sound Energy. Power plant 1 was built in 1898 and operates at the base of the falls embedded in the rock 270 feet below the surface. It was the world's first completely underground power plant.  Power plant 2 was built in 1910 and further expanded in 1957, and is located a short distance downstream of the falls. Approximately 1% of Puget Sound Energy sales comes from the plant. These two power plants provide 44,000 kilowatts of electricity, which is enough to service 16,000 average homes. 

We had a wonderful time.  It was a very scenic drive.