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Franklin Ghost Town
4.2 ★★★★☆ 720 Google reviews · Running trail in Black Diamond, Washington · Open 24 hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Open 24 hours
Confirmed from Franklin Ghost Town's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Easy, river basin, old mining town and its cemetery known for its ruins.
What runners say about Franklin Ghost Town
“Beautiful hike right on the border of Enumclaw and Maple valley.”
“Easy trail in early January, very little mud and just a few logs to cross.”
What a great family afternoon hike. What I loved about this hike was that it was easy for all levels. There was a fork that went down to the river and if you chose to continue straight ahead you would eventually hit remnants of the Franklin ghost town.
Stroller friendly but you have to lift up the stroller over a gate at the entrance. The path is wide and mostly gravel. Gets muddy when it is rainy. From what we saw of the trail it is a steady incline up to a Y in the trail. We went left and came to a large mine shaft that was cool to see.
02/16/25 We were only able to take the left fork at the coal cart before the weather turned, so my review is only for that side. There are handwritten signs that point you in the direction of the mine shaft and cemetery, it is correct. The trail that continues beyond the mine shaft goes to the cemetery.
Great walking area, dog friendly. Beautiful scenery through the forest. We only went to the old mining foundations. Graves next time. Saw the Graves , and the mine 1300 feet straight down and you can look if want. Great walk for us and the dogs. Nice place for a long walk. Weeds are growing fast.
Trail conditions & character
“Beautiful hike right on the border of Enumclaw and Maple valley.”
“As for parking a quick google search shows that Franklin Ghost town and surrounding areas to hike are owned by king county but parking and entrance to hike are on private property.”
“From what we saw of the trail it is a steady incline up to a Y in the trail.”
“When you pull in the gravel lot, go past the orange gate to get to the box car .”
“And on a final note there are no restrooms at the parking lot or on the trails.”
“The trail was also muddy in spots, but nicely placed logs made it easy to cross without getting wet.”
“Pretty uphill trail but a lot of rest areas where it was flat travel.”
“Stroller friendly but you have to lift up the stroller over a gate at the entrance.”
Plan your run at Franklin Ghost Town
The practical stuff
- AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websitewta.org
- Phone(206) 625-1367
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
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