Taylor River (Washington)
Encyclopedia
The Taylor River is a river
in King County in Washington.
. 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.
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 backcountry lakes.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in King County in Washington.
Course
The river starts at the outlet of Bear LakeBear Lake (Washington)
Bear Lake is a lake in King County in Washington, United States. It is the source of the Taylor River.The lake can be reached by hiking from Deer Lake along the Snoqualmie Lake Trail which eventually traverses into the Miller River system and reaches the shore of Lake Dorothy.The lake is located...
. The river drops over a small waterfall before entering Deer Lake
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....
. 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
Snoqualmie Lake
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....
.
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
Snoqualmie River
The Snoqualmie River is a 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...
. 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 actually 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
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
.
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 backcountry lakes.