Interpretation and history at Olallie

History

In 1950, Puget Sound Power and Light Company sold 160 acres along the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River, including Twin Falls, to Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. At that time, an informal trail led from a roadside rest area on the Snoqualmie Pass Highway to Twin Falls. The area was officially named “Twin Falls State Park” in 1974. Later in 1976, 210 acres to the east of the park were added. The park was then renamed “Olallie State Park” in 1977 for the Chinook Jargon word for berry, which was chosen due to the abundance of huckleberries in the area. Around this time, Interstate 90 was built and the rest area and trail to Trail Falls eliminated.

In the early 1980s, State Parks was approached by a private company interested in constructing two hydroelectric plants in the park; one at Weeks Falls and the other at Twin Falls. After a public planning process, the hydroelectric plant plans were modified to reduce the impact on local fish and retain the scenic aspects of the falls. Construction of the two power plants was completed in 1990. To mitigate the aspect impacts of the plants, a new trail from the west end of the park to Twin Falls was constructed.

The park grew to include the northern slopes of Mount Washington in the 1990s and is now more than 2,500 acres in size.

Interpretive opportunities

An interpretive trail at the South Fork Picnic Area passes through a small grove of old-growth trees. Interpretive signage provides visitors with information about the Snoqualmie Wagon Road, the first road to run from Ellensburg to Seattle in the 1800s.