Taylor River (Washington)

Last updated
Taylor River
Location
Country United States
State Washington
County King County
Physical characteristics
Source Bear Lake
  location North Cascades
Mouth Middle Fork Snoqualmie River

The Taylor River is a river in King County in Washington.

Contents

Course

The river starts at the outlet of Bear Lake. The river drops over a small waterfall before entering Deer Lake. After exiting Deer Lake, the river drops over another waterfall, this one much larger than the first, before entering the largest and best of the three lakes on the Taylor River, Snoqualmie Lake.

After exiting Snoqualmie Lake, the river drops over another good sized waterfall as it drops over the headwall below the lake. Near the bottom, the river receives the creek that drains Nordrum, Judy and Carole Lakes. The river then turns from west to northwest before soon turning west again. The river receives three large tributaries, Big Creek, Otter Creek and Marten Creek, all of which drop over large waterfalls before entering the river. After receiving Marten Creek, the river turns south towards its confluence with the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. Shortly before entering the river, it receives one more major tributary, Quartz Creek.

Hiking

There are several hiking trails in the area. The main and most popular one is the Taylor River Trail, which is an old road that ends near the base of the headwall below Snoqualmie Lake. It begins before a bridge over the river just upstream from the mouth of Quartz Creek. The trail follows the river relatively closely, crossing Marten and Big Creeks on bridges that have views of both creeks’ respective waterfalls (Otter Creek is also crossed, but there is no bridge and no falls are visible from the crossing). The trail ends 1.2 miles after the Big Creek Bridge.

The unmarked and rather rough trail to Marten Creek is found branching off the Taylor River Trail shortly before the Marten Creek Bridge.

There is a short side trail that branches off the Taylor River Trail shortly after the crossing of Otter Creek that leads to Lipsy Lake and the beautiful slides of Otter Falls that drop directly into the tiny lake.

The Dream Lake Trail branches off the Taylor River Trail shortly after the Big Creek Bridge. The trail follows the creek steeply up to the lake and is all but non-existent in some areas.

At the end of the Taylor River Trail is the start of the difficult Nordrum Lake Trail, a rough route that leads to remote Nordrum Lake and also provides access to Carole and Judy Lakes, to nearby back-country lakes.

See also

Coordinates: 47°32′46″N121°32′2″W / 47.54611°N 121.53389°W / 47.54611; -121.53389

Related Research Articles

Snoqualmie River

The Snoqualmie River is a 45-mile (72 km) long river in King County and Snohomish County in the U.S. state of Washington. The river's three main tributaries are the North, Middle, and South Forks, which drain the west side of the Cascade Mountains near the town of North Bend and join near the town of Snoqualmie just above the Snoqualmie Falls. After the falls the river flows north through rich farmland and the towns of Fall City, Carnation, and Duvall before meeting the Skykomish River to form the Snohomish River near Monroe. The Snohomish River empties into Puget Sound at Everett. Other tributaries of the Snoqualmie River include the Taylor River and the Pratt River, both of which enter the Middle Fork, the Tolt River, which joins at Carnation, and the Raging River at Fall City.

Vedder River

The Vedder River, called the Chilliwack River above Vedder Crossing, is a river in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington.

Tsitsikamma National Park A protected area on the Garden Route, Western Cape and Eastern Cape, South Africa

The Tsitsikamma National Park is a protected area on the Garden Route, Western Cape and Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is a coastal reserve well known for its indigenous forests, dramatic coastline, and the Otter Trail. On 6 March 2009 it was amalgamated with the Wilderness National Park and various other areas of land to form the Garden Route National Park.

Bridal Veil Falls (DuPont State Forest)

Bridal Veil Falls is a waterfall in the DuPont State Forest, on the Little River, near Brevard, North Carolina.

Depot Creek Falls Waterfall in Washington (state), United States

Depot Creek Falls is a 967-foot (295 m)-high waterfall in the North Cascades National Park, Whatcom County, Washington.

Bridal Veil Falls (Washington) Waterfall in Washington (state), United States

Bridal Veil Falls is a 1,328-foot (405 m) waterfall that flows from Lake Serene directly to the South Fork Skykomish River on the creek of the same name in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a perennial 150-foot (46 m) wide drop with four tiers, two of which are clearly visible. It is at 47.78950°N 121.56924°W.

Blum Basin Falls is a waterfall in Whatcom County, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in North Cascades National Park on the headwaters of Blum Creek, a tributary of the Baker River. Fed by two small retreating glaciers and several snowfields on the southern side of Mount Blum, the waterfall is formed by the largest meltwater stream that feeds the mainstem of Blum Creek. The falls tumble 1,680 feet (510 m) down a high glacial headwall several miles within the national park in two distinct stages; the first is a series of slides over rounded rock, above the tree line, and the second is a series of near-vertical plunges to the forested valley below. Although most of the falls is clearly visible, parts of it are obscured by tall pines that grow at its base. There is no trail leading to the waterfall.

Pratt River

The Pratt River is a river in King County in Washington. It is a tributary of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. It was named for prospector George A Pratt, who discovered nearby iron deposits in 1887.

Bear Lake (Washington)

Bear Lake is a lake in King County in Washington, United States. It is the source of the Taylor River.

Van Trump Creek

Van Trump Creek, also called Van Trump Falls Creek or the Van Trump Fork of the Nisqually River, is a creek in Pierce County, Washington. It is a tributary of the Nisqually River, joining the river just above the mouth of the Paradise River. The creek is known for having several well known waterfalls along its course.

Deer Lake (Taylor River)

Deer Lake is a lake in King County, Washington. It is an expansion of the Taylor River, located just below its true source. Located a short distance downstream is Snoqualmie Lake.

Snoqualmie Lake Lake in King County, Washington, United States

Snoqualmie Lake is a lake in King County, Washington. It is an expansion of the Taylor River and is located a short distance downstream from Deer Lake. It is the largest of the three lakes along the upper reaches of the Taylor.

Miller River

The Miller River is a river in King County, Washington. Named for 1890s prospector John Miller, it is a tributary of the Skykomish River, which it joins near the community of Miller River. The Miller River is about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long from the confluence of its main tributaries, the East Fork and West Fork. Miller River Campground is located just downriver from the confluence.

Eagle Creek waterfalls

Eagle Creek is a tributary of the Columbia River in Multnomah and Hood River counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. It cuts through a narrow canyon in its 3,200 feet (980 m) descent to the Columbia River Gorge and is known for its concentration of 13 waterfalls in about 5 miles (8.0 km) distance. Eight major falls are on Eagle Creek and the East Fork Eagle Creek itself, while five are on its tributaries.

The Rainy River is a short river that enters the Thornbrough Channel at Port Mellon, British Columbia, Canada. While it does come close to doing so, it never enters Tetrahedron Provincial Park.

Geography of the North Cascades

The geography of the North Cascades describes a range of rugged mountains in British Columbia, Canada and Washington, United States. In Canada, the range is officially named the Cascade Mountains but is commonly referred to as the Canadian Cascades.

The valley of the West Fork Foss River contains a fair amount of waterfalls. The river heads in a series of large lakes: Big Heart Lake, Angeline Lake, and Otter Lake- which form spectacular waterfalls as they plunge down to Delta Lake. On the valley walls downstream of Delta Lake, are found even more waterfalls.

Course of the Rogue River (Oregon)

The Rogue River in the U.S. state of Oregon begins at Boundary Springs on the border between Klamath and Douglas counties near the northern edge of Crater Lake National Park. The Rogue River flows generally west for 215 miles (346 km) from the Cascade Range through the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest and the Klamath Mountains to the Pacific Ocean at Gold Beach. Communities along its course include Union Creek, Prospect, Trail, Shady Cove, Gold Hill, and Rogue River, all in Jackson County; Grants Pass, and Galice in Josephine County, and Agness, Wedderburn and Gold Beach in Curry County. Significant tributaries include the South Fork Rogue River, Elk Creek, Bear Creek, the Applegate River, and the Illinois River. Arising at 5,320 feet (1,622 m) above sea level, the river loses more than 1 mile (1.6 km) in elevation by the time it reaches the Pacific.

Marten Lake

Marten Lake is a freshwater lake located on the southern slope of Dog Mountain west of Anderson Lake, part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in King County, Washington. Marten creek exits Marten Lake into a canyon that produces a tributary to Taylor River. Because of its proximity to Dog Mountain summit and the cirque of Rooster Mountain to the west, the lake is a popular area for hiking, swimming, and fishing cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. Access to Marten Lake is in the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness through an unmaintained fisherman's access trail that spins off the Snoqualmie Lake Trail.