Improving Access to Otter Falls in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley
Otter Falls is a dramatic 700’ granite slab graced with a plunging cascade into a small pond known as Lipsy Lake. This spot deep within the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley is popular with both day hikers and slab rock climbers who travel four miles up the Snoqualmie Lake Trail to reach the falls, but access has always been a challenge.
* Please note that the main Snoqualmie Lake Trail (before Otter Falls) was impacted by the December 2025 wind and rain storms. Check WTA.org for recent trip reports to confirm current conditions before heading out to visit this site.
From a Slippery Scramble to a Sustainably Built Solution
In the past, visitors who wanted to enjoy Otter Falls were confronted with a baffling collection of indistinct, “booted-in” paths coming off the Snoqualmie Lake Trail that generally threaded straight uphill before a slippery and erosive gully decent to reach the lake’s edge. Constructing a sustainable trail connection to replace those multiple routes and to allow the forest floor to recover has long been a goal of the US Forest Service.
During summer 2025, the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust engaged Northwest Trails, Inc, a regional trails contractor, to excavate the new 900-foot trail connection and build timber stairs. For two weeks, a crew of four worked using a mini-excavator and hand tools to establish the route. Once raw excavations were completed, the Greenway Trust recreation team worked for an additional week to add more rock steps and complete other trail finishing tasks to ensure adequate drainage during the wet season, creating a long-term, low maintenance trail for visitors.
The Power of Combining Public and Private Dollars
To support this project, the National Forest Foundation awarded the Greenway Trust a grant for $50,000. The grant award provided resources needed to complete both an improved trail connection to Otter Falls and to complete much needed upgrades to picnic areas and trails at the Middle Fork Trailhead.
Grants like these often require a financial match (in this case, a 1:1 match), which is why support from individuals and businesses is so important to enable us to carry out our work. Private contributions have been instrumental in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley’s transformation, and we’re excited to be taking on our next ambitious endeavor to ensure the Middle Fork remains healthy and beautiful forever.
The Forever Fund: Building a Legacy of Sustainable Recreation and Stewardship
Over the past three decades, the Greenway Trust and other community partners have transformed the Middle Fork from a neglected and overused valley into a model of sustainable access and ecological care. Projects such as this one are part of a larger initiative to allow recreational access while minimizing negative impacts on the area’s fragile ecosystems.
We’ve come a long way, and now we face a pivotal moment. The Greenway Trust is leading the charge to create a $10 million self-sustaining stewardship fund that will ensure care for the Middle Fork for generations to come. By providing a stable financial foundation, the fund will help us navigate the ups and downs of public funding while staying focused on what truly matters: safeguarding wildlife habitat, keeping rivers clean, and creating opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to connect with nature.
You can support the future of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley by donating to the new self-sustaining Stewardship Fund and signing up for future volunteer events. Keep an eye on our events calendar and make sure you receive our newsletter to stay in the know!
