Canoeing the Snoqualmie River
The Snoqualmie River is hard to beat for a close by scenic canoeing opportunity. From slightly above Fall City to takeout areas near Carnation and Duvall, the river is gentle in most low water conditions and provides a close view of nature generally unencumbered by home sites and the typical commercial structure normally expected so close to Seattle.
Much of the Snoqualmie is designated as a floodway, denying those wishing to have riverfront from building near the river over most of its watercourse through the valley. What results is a peaceful canoeing experience consisting of wandering past golf courses, dairy farms, and wooded acreage covered mostly by second growth timber. Deer, dairy cattle, Canadian geese, several types of duck, grouse, beaver, muskrat, mink, otter, bear, and countless other wildlife will frequent the river, often allowing them to be observed.
Boat launches for launching and retrieving your craft dot the river and provide trips ranging from 45 minutes to several hours. I generally refer to my Washington Gazetteer to identify and locate public access areas to enter and leave the water. USGS maps will also include this information. Most of the people you find along the river are friendly and will also help direct you to the closer boat launch sites. Normally I caravan with a companion to a launch site, then drive a retrieving vehicle to the exit site. My companion follows, and then returns us to our start point, where we have temporarily stashed our canoe. We reverse the process at the end of the trip. Years ago I often canoed by myself, hitchhiking back to the launch site after I had deposited my car at the exit. Rides seemed to be easy to come by while I was wearing cutoffs and carrying a canoe paddle. I must have either looked harmless or lost.
I truly enjoy the stretch of river starting roughly ½ mile below Snoqualmie Falls off SE Fish Hatchery Road downstream from Mud Creek, continuing past Fall City roughly 2 miles, and then taking out where the Neal Road meets SR 203. If I have a full day to play on the river, I might decide to continue to the mouth of the Tolt River near Carnation to take advantage of the excellent boat launch there.
Occasionally I see people along parts of the trip but most of the trip will be through a peaceful quiet not available closer to Seattle. Fishermen can be seen wading along the stream, while others pass by on their watercraft in search of wild steelhead and salmon. Wallace Creek in Fall City is a popular bank fishing area. Just upstream from Wallace Creek is a public camping area.
One of my many canoe trip highlights occurred there when I came upon a group of campers who decided to beat the heat by skinny-dipping in the river. Everyone had a good time. Once I came upon a frightened dairy cow trapped in the river. When I exited the river, I took the time to locate the local farmer to reunite him with his strayed animal. It all worked out. I also remember taking a friend for her first scenic trip, then running into a huge insect hatch that lasted over an hour. From a distance the insect event may have been quite an interesting spectacle, but up close, I can still taste those bugs. Vegetable and flower stands frequent the road between Carnation and Fall City offering Dahlia, corn, garlic, and honey, together with a variety of arts and crafts. Most days the canoeing experience along the river is peaceful and uneventful. It is a great way to beat the heat during warm summer days or to enjoy the color of autumn. All though the Snoqualmie is a mild river, it is required plus common sense to wear a life jacket. Come often, nature will welcome you here. You never know what you might see.
