The Charming Small Town In Washington With A Namesake Waterfall

If you've lived in Washington for more than about five minutes, you've surely heard of Snoqualmie Falls. In fact, most of us have gotten more than one glimpse of the massive 268-foot waterfall that's located minutes from I-90.

This area is well-known for being a big part of the early 90s TV show Twin Peaks, but there's so much more to it.

Snoqualmie Falls sees more than 1.5 million visitors every single year.

This is due in part to its convenient location, just east of Seattle on the Snoqualmie River between the town of Snoqualmie and Fall City.

The charming little city of Snoqualmie is Snoqualmie Falls' namesake town.

With a population of less than 14,000, it often gets lumped into the nearby city of Issaquah or forgotten entirely. But Snoqualmie is definitely a fantastic place to visit and live.

The main attraction here is the Snoqualmie Depot, which is located at 38625 SE King Street.

Originally built in 1890, the Snoqualmie Depot has been restored to its original glory and still functions as an operating train station.

If you ever watched Twin Peaks, a lot of this area will look familiar.

Snoqualmie was the setting for many of the show's exterior shots, along with the neighboring Fall City and North Bend.

"Snoqualmie" is a unique name. And much like most places in Washington, it has quite a history.

The origin story behind Snoqualmie involves the English pronunciation of "sah-KOH-koh," a Salish word meaning moon. The Native Americans who lived in the valley were known as people of the moon.

For the Snoqualmie People, Snoqualmie Falls is an important spiritual place.

Known as "the place where First Woman and First Man were created by Moon the Transformer" and "where prayers were carried up to the Creator by great mists that rise from the powerful flow," they believe that the mists rising from the base of the waterfall can connect heaven and Earth.

Whatever your beliefs may be, there's no denying that Snoqaulmie Falls is a spectacularly beautiful place.

The next time you visit, take some time to explore this delightful little city of Snoqualmie as well.

Snoqualmie Falls is gorgeous, and there are plenty of hiking trails in the area perfect for exploring. But if you want to see Washington's official state waterfall, you'll have to head east.