Swim in the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River

You can reach this area off I-90.  Take exit 38.  If you are coming from the west (Seattle) take a right after exiting the highway and continue for about 2 miles.  You will drive under I-90 and then come to a parking area.  This is it!  If you are coming from the east it's even easier, turn right after exiting the highway (again exit 38) and you'll find the parking area almost immediately.  If you keep driving past the parking area you will enter land owned by the Washington State Fire Training Academy.  They typically keep the gate open until 5:30 pm but as there is not much in the way of parking back there you should park outside the gate.

From the north end of the parking area you'll see a sign and there is a trail that leads into the woods.  Don't worry if you can't find it, you can also just walk past the gate and along the road away from the highway.  The trail is a minor shortcut.  If you take the trail it will dump back on the road where you can turn left to keep heading away from the highway.  A little bit farther down the road is a bridge that crosses the South Fork Snoqualmie River.  On the left side of the bridge you can scramble down to the sandy banks of the river.

The water is barely moving here and the area gets some sun.  On the other side of the river hanging from underneath the bridge are a couple rope swings.  You can swim over to them or cross on the bridge and scramble down.  The water under the bridge is pretty deep and great for jumping in!

There are a couple rock climbing crags and some hiking trails in the area that can be combined with this adventure for a great day out!

Afterwards, if you're headed west, you can stop in North Bend for a bite to eat. Scott's Dairy Freeze and North Bend Bar and Grill are local favorites.