Franklin Ghost Town
Region: South Cascades and Mount Rainier
Roundtrip Miles: 2.5 miles
Elevation Gain (feet): 200
Best Month(s): October
Hikeable: year-round
Trailhead Coordinates: 47.3011, -121.9524
Pass: $5 fee on private field on right side of SE Green River Gorge Road. The trailhead is on the far side of the field with a yellow vehicle gate. There is no street parking near the trailhead.
Features: old growth, fall foliage
Water: bring your own
Time: Plan on spending about 1.5 hours hiking and wandering around
Summary: Franklin used to be a coal-mining town. There’s a bit of a dark history here: in 1894, a fire was intentionally set in the mine and 37 miners suffocated and died. The mine kept operating after this though and wasn’t abandoned until 1919 when coal mining had stopped in the area. Don’t worry, the mineshaft is sealed so you won’t be falling in. There’s a grate over the top and it’s fenced off to keep people from walking over the grate.
The $5 fee is still accurate. If no one is there, just drop it in the box. We had the ghost town to ourselves arriving at about 9am on a Tuesday. Didn’t see another person out there. Definitely do this one during autumn. The fall colors of the maples in mid-late October are beautiful and on a clear day you can see all the way across the valley.
You walk a gravel road behind the gate for the first part, leading to the old rail car. The ghost town isn’t huge, but there are several old building foundations, the mine shaft, and a small graveyard with a handful of headstones surrounded by blackberry vines. Speaking of blackberry, it’s everywhere! The vines will trip and grab you on this trail as it is rather narrow. There are also roots and bits of stump to trip you on the trail in spots. Just watch your feet and you’ll be fine. The graveyard is via the trail to the left from the rail car.
No bathroom or water at the trailhead.
Post-hike Food Stop:
- Pick-Quick Drive In* (Auburn): small menu of burgers, hot dogs, fries, and yummy milkshakes.
- NOT DOG FRIENDLY – If you go on a cool, non-sunny day where the pupper is safe to be left in the car, try Black Diamond Bakery and Restaurant (Black Diamond). It’s only 8 minutes away from the trailhead. The food is pretty good but the bakery is better. The whole wheat apple cinnamon rolls are fantastic. The bismark donut and giant chocolate chip cookies are also really tasty. It’s a really cute place to stop if you go during the cool season.
Other Auburn Attractions:
- Flaming Geyser State Park
Note: The restaurants and breweries denoted with * are potentially dog-friendly for their outdoor seating. Their patio dining may only be open during summer, however. You should always check with each restaurant to see if outdoor space has a separate entrance and if they are willing to accommodate well-behaved dogs. I would never assume just because a place has allowed dogs in the past that this is still the case.
