Switchback Falls

Switchback Falls is located on a small parcel of Department of Natural Resources land in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River valley near North Bend. Exit Interstate 90 at Edgewick Road (Exit 34) and head north past the truck stop for one-quarter mile to SE Middle Fork Road and turn left. Proceed just over 7 miles (the first 2.5 are paved) to a signed and gated road on the left and park. This marks the beginning of the DNR’s Bessemer Road. As of 2012 a Discover Pass is required to legally park here. Begin hiking along the gated road, which climbs gently for the first mile, to where it intersects the CCC Trail. Continue following the obvious road up the hill where all trails and spurs branch off. About a mile and three-quarters from the trailhead is an active quarry, where trucks and heavy equipment may be encountered during the weekdays – stay clear of traffic and out of the quarry area. Continue straight past the quarry, climbing up three sharp switchbacks. At the 2.6 mile mark the road will cross the unnamed stream producing Switchback Falls directly below the falls.Switchback Falls is a very conspicuous little waterfall found along the DNR road which climbs to the summit of South Bessemer Mountain. The falls are indicated on the Lake Philippa 7.5 inch quadrangle with the standard “Falls” and tick mark notation but are not otherwise recognized and are rarely visited despite easy access. Situated between two sharp switchbacks in the road, the unnamed branch of Big Blowout Creek which the falls occur along slides down a two-step cascade for 43 feet, and then split into two streams which plunge an additional 9 feet immediately adjacent to the road. Previously because of the gradual slope above the final nine-foot plunge, several small alder trees had taken root between the two sections of the falls, rendering the larger tier partially obscured. On February 9th, 2020 a massive debris flow let loose well above the falls and severely altered the drainage. The falls do appear to still be at least partially intact, but the flow ripped out all surrounding trees for at least 100 feet on either side of the falls, as well as deposited a thick coating of mud everywhere. The Bessemer Mountain Road was also destroyed in four places where it crosses this stream, rendering access to this waterfall likely quite tedious at best for the foreseeable future. For the time being the falls will at least be more visible than previously, however after events such as this, it is common for fast growing foliage such as Red Alder to take over in the absence of other plants, and the result may be that this waterfall could be severely obstructed from view within the next decade, depending on how active the unstable earth in the channel remains.This waterfall has never held a recognized title as far as we know. Greg Plumb listed this waterfall in the appendix of his Waterfall Lover's Guide as Upper Green Mountain Falls, however as it doesn't occur along the same stream as the waterfall we refer to as Green Mountain Falls, we’ve suggested naming it for the tenuous nature of the Bessemer Road where it crosses below and above the falls instead.