Three Years of Construction, Snoqualmie Falls Park, Hydroelectric Plant At Last Re-done and Ready!

When one of Washington State’s biggest tourist attractions happens to sit in your backyard, do you forget?  Take it for granted?  I know sometimes I do.

It seems like that bright orange sign along SR-202/Railroad Ave near the Salish Lodge has been there forever – the one stating “TRUCKS ENTERING ROAD.”  The workers who manage traffic in the construction zone have come to feel like part of the community.  How can they not as they signed on for a three-year major construction contract at Snoqualmie Falls?

But it’s finally coming to an end.  PSE is at last finishing up its multiple year project to upgrade the Snoqualmie Falls power plant, where hydroelectric substations have been supplying power to thousands in the area for over 100 years.  That’s a pretty amazing feat – 100 years without a major upgrade.

But PSE didn’t stop with the just power plant upgrades.  They also re-designed Snoqualmie Falls Park, which attracts over 2 million visitors each year – to a place we simply call home.

PSE is getting ready to officially unveil the product of its 36 months of labor tomorrow, September 14, 2013, at the Grand Re-opening of Snoqualmie Falls Hydroelectric Project and Park.  Stop by the Falls and see the “after” magic of the park’s remodel.  Something PSE calls “115 Years in the Making.”

You can explore the trail enhancements – ones that make it easier to get from the upper park to the falls below, where a new site to launch kayaks has been added. New upgrades to trail bridges. New platforms for viewing.  New areas for picnics.  New areas to just sit and relax.  I went.  I wandered.  It’s pretty spectacular.

PSE has Saturday events planned all September long to celebrate the park, but tomorrow’s event features opportunities to explore the park and trail system enhancements; educational booths to share the 100 year cultural history of the Falls in Snoqualmie; kids’ crafts; giveaways and prizes, including a chance to win a stay at the Salish and a tour of the hydroelectric plant.

To find out more about the September Saturday events to celebrate the remodeled facilities visit, including a great video highlighting new park upgrades, visit PSE’s Snoqualmie Falls Celebration website page.