The winter, though low in snow, was kind of brutal in terms of rain. So much rain meant slides all over the state, some with tragic consequences. Luckily, we were barely impacted by a minor slide on the Twin Falls trail.
For a few months, there's been a fence blocking the trail just beyond the benches. That means from our trailhead you can just see the waterfall through the trees. (Rumor has it the slide is easy to bypass, but remains at risk of additional sliding.)
The kids were bummed that we couldn't continue to see the waterfall up close, but it sounds like the stairs down to the lower (and most impressive) viewing platform was also damaged. Instead, we ate our sandwiches on the benches and then they chased me toward home while I waved a bag of Skittles in the air. (They caught me near Tokul's Pool.)
Contacts at Washington State Parks say the trail will be rebuilt, but they're still in the assessment stage. It's unclear if the trail can be rebuilt there or needs a reroute to be both sustainable and safe. The trail will likely be closed until at least midsummer.
Of course, if you really want to see the waterfalls you can start at the east end of the trail (the Homestead Trailhead off Exit 38), but that portion of the trail never comes down to the river and isn't nearly as much fun as the trail from the west.
I'm sure when it does reopen we'll be there to see the new trail.
