Trip Report: Celebrating GAOA Improvements to the Denny Creek - Franklin Falls Area with Rep. Kim Schrier

Have you visited the new Denny Creek - Franklin Falls trailhead yet this summer? This popular, family-friendly destination near Snoqualmie Pass has long been overcrowded with unsafe parking behavior. Thanks to investments from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), this parking lot got a major upgrade. GAOA was passed in 2020, thanks in large part to the outdoor recreation community. The passage and implementation of the GAOA in Washington continues to be a shining example of what we can achieve when we advocate together on behalf of more than 75,000 human-powered recreationists across the state.

Last week, The Mountaineers and our Outdoor Alliance Washington partners celebrated the completion of the Denny Creek Great American Outdoors Act project with Rep. Kim Schrier (WA-08), Forest Service staff, and other partners. The casual gathering showcased some of the tangible, on-the-ground, recreation improvements resulting from GAOA investment, and underscored the importance of continued future funding. Visitors to the Denny Creek area now experience restored recreation infrastructure, including improved trails, expanded parking, and restored signage.

Celebrating GAOA’s Impact in Washington

About seven million dollars of GAOA funding has been invested in the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area in the form of 17 projects. In the Snoqualmie Ranger District alone, GAOA funded over $4.1 million in projects that leveraged over $350,000 in partner funding and volunteer labor. 

Event attendees received remarks from Rep. Schrier, representatives from the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and Washington Trails Association - two key project implementation partners - Forest Service officials, and a representative from the Snoqualmie Tribe. Following a ribbon cutting to celebrate the reopening of the parking lot, we hiked as a group to Franklin Falls, stopping to discuss trail improvements and the impact of volunteer stewardship on the project.

Rep. Schrier hiked the same trail two years ago to commemorate the launch of the project. During her time in Congress, she has been a leader on wildfire issues and forest resilience, as well as a strong supporter of the Forest Service’s Legacy Roads and Trails program.

Washington Trails Association's Michael DeCramer shares information about trail improvements during the group's hike to Franklin Falls via the Wagon Road Trail. Photo by Conor Marshall.

Improving Recreation at Denny Creek

Denny Creek and Franklin Falls  are two extremely popular hikes near Snoqualmie Pass. The area experiences heavy recreational use throughout the year. More visitation means that tackling deferred maintenance projects is as important as ever to ensure that recreational use is sustainable now and into the future. Before these improvements, visitors would frequently experience a congested parking lot, resulting in parked cars along the narrow, one-way road leading to the trails, as well as ecological damage to the surrounding forest.

The project created a paved parking lot that has 170 spaces (the former Franklin Falls lot only had 30) and turned the road leading to the trailhead into a loop to alleviate traffic congestion concerns. The project also added more ADA-accessible parking spots, bear-proof storage containers, and improved signage kiosks.

Collaboration and partnership between nonprofits and agencies helped make these projects possible. The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust helped support the implementation of this project by working with small business contractors and other nonprofits, as well as completing work with their professional trail crew and volunteers. Washington Trails Association leveraged the energy and value of volunteers by hosting dozens of volunteer trail maintenance projects at sites across the project area. By the end of this summer, WTA will have hosted more than 80 work parties on trails associated with this GAOA project. As of today, WTA projects have contributed over 7,636 hours of trail work to this project and engaged hundreds of volunteers in this shared stewardship effort.

Enhancing storytelling opportunities at Denny Creek is an important aspect of this project. The Snoqualmie Pass area is the ancestral lands of Pacific Northwest Indian Tribes, including the Snoqualmie Tribe. The Snoqualmie Tribe will contribute to interpretive signage at the trailhead parking area, explaining the area's cultural significance and the importance of recreating mindfully and respectfully on the ancestral lands of Native peoples. Learn more with resources from the Snoqualmie Tribe Ancestral Lands Movement.

Looking Ahead to GAOA Reauthorization 

Funding for the Great American Outdoors Act’s Legacy Restoration Fund is set to expire at the end of September 2025. In order to continue to restore and maintain public lands in Washington and fully address the many maintenance challenges impacting our public lands, we need additional GAOA funding. That’s why we'll continue to work through Outdoor Alliance Washington to share Great American Outdoors Act impact stories with lawmakers and the wider recreation community in Washington and advocate for reauthorization of the Legacy Restoration Fund. 

For the last three years, OA Washington has been working to forge strong relationships with lawmakers and land managers so that we can effectively advocate for shared conservation, recreation, and climate priorities. For more updates on Washington outdoor issues from OA Washington and ways to support Legacy Restoration Fund reauthorization, sign up for periodic email updates.

A version of this post will also appear on Outdoor Alliance’s blog. Interested in learning more about where GAOA funds are improving recreation on Washington’s national forests? Check out this USFS map of current and future GAOA projects.