Visiting Filming Sites in Washington

I have tried my best to put together a guide on the filming locations of Twin Peaks. These directions assume you are coming from Seattle to North Bend. I cannot promise they are exact, most directions were created based on my memory and also Yahoo Maps.

SNOQUALMIE, NORTH BEND, GREAT FALLS AREA

From Seattle, take Interstate 90 East to North Bend. You will see a few signs for Snoqualmie and you could get off there, but you might want to wait until North Bend.

Exit onto Highway 202 to North Bend.

As you exit, you will go through some shopping areas. As you pass by the gas station on the right, take note, because I believe this is the same gas station that The Vanishing was filmed at. (The Vanishing was filmed in the area, the same summer as FWWM – we were able to see them filming a scene).

Go across the river and the park on your right. There’s a gazebo to the right, but that’s not the same gazebo from the series. Continue down North Bend Blvd S/Highway 202 until you hit the railroad tracks. Immediately on your right you will notice the Double R Diner (now called Twede’s). I’d suggest finding a place to park, visiting the Double R now and also going down North Bend Blvd just a bit more to the Alpin Blossom store that is right pass the theater.

When done here, take a right onto W North Bend Way and go through the downtown area of North Bend pass the Double R. Continue for some ways and it will feel like you are going to nowhere, but keep your eye on the left side of the street. Sooner or later you will see Mt. Si Motel. This is the motel that Leland met with Teresa and saw Ronette and Laura in the motel room.

Turn around and go back to North Bend and when you hit Highway 202/North Bend Blvd S, take a right. Follow this road, it curves to the left and then go straight to Meadowbrook Way Se, and take a sharp right.

Things get somewhat fuzzy here so bear with me.

Along this route you will see a high school to your left. This is the high school from the pilot. It looks very different and has been remodeled. Where some of the pilot scenes took place, I can’t tell you.

Head pass the school and you will come to an interesection BEFORE a bridge. You should immediately notice the old white garage ahead of you to the right. This is the Leland/Laura/Gerard intersection. Find a place to park around here because Fat Trout Trailer Park is across the street behind the group of stores. The best way to get in there is to walk toward the bridge pass the stores, take a left and you will see a trailer. In the middle of the park is the number 6 pole. As of 1999, Teresa Banks’ trailer is stil there. I would strongly suggest that you don’t disturb the residents in the park – these are their private homes.

Jump back in the car and go across the bridge.

Again things are a bit fuzzy and I can’t be sure of all information. As you go across the bridge, you will notice an old service road to your left. Pay attention because on the way back this way, you might recognize it. Continue down and you will come across Ronette’s bridge. It used to go across the road but doesn’t anymore. You might want to find a safe place to pull over because this intersection of Reining, Mill Pond and Meadowbrook is Sparkwood and 21.

After taking some pictures, head down Reining Road. As you go under the trees, these are the same trees that Laura races down to see Harold in FWWM.

Continue down and I can’t promise that you will find the actual spot where the sign was placed because it’s hard to find. It’s about halfway from that intersection to the end of Reining. If you reach another intersection, you’ve gone too far. I know the location is near a house on the left side. And when we were there in 99, there was a smiley face on the pole that would be the pole in the actual scene. This is very hard to find, but you can find it, just take your time and take an actual photo of the scene with you.

Once you find it, turn around and head back to Sparkwood and 21 but instead get onto Mill Pond Road. As you go, you will see a sign to turn off to the left to go to the mill. This is the location of Packard’s Saw Mill AND the Sheriff Station. This is a work area so be considerate of other people so you don’t ruin it for future fans to visit the areas.

Once you are done here, go back the way you came and get back on Meadowbrook Way SE towards Ronette’s bridge and as you get closer to the bridge that goes over the river, notice the service road to the left. I think, but not 100% sure, that this is the same service road that Donna and Paul drove down in the pilot to meet with James.

Head pass Fat Trout Trailer Park and the school back to the main road. When you hit 202, turn right and it turns to Railroad Pl Se and head northwest. As you get into Snoqualmie, you’ll notice the big log on your left which was in the credits of TP. In this same area is the RailRoad car Museum which housed the car way back when behind some fences. This is private property and I have information that says that Laura’s car is not there anymore. But who knows.

Keep going up northwest on Railroad to the Salish. You can’t miss it. It will be on your right. Find a place to park and if you have time, walk down to the bottom of the falls.

Jump back in the car and continue the way you were going northwest. Now the road goes around and around and it’s a nice drive, but you have no idea where you are (this is fun at night). Suddenly, it evens out and you enter Fall City (I think it’s about 15 miles, so if you feel like you have been driving awhile, you have been). As you come up on Fall City, you should come to a stop. Look to your right. It’s the Fall City Grill (behind another building – a gun shop in 99). This is Hap’s Diner and it has good food, and they did have specials.

From that intersection, turn left and go across the bridge. As you get to a stoplight (I think) you will see the Roadhouse on your left and the Bookhouse behind it. This is the exterior, not interior!!

Head southwest down this road (Preston Fall City Road Se – it’s also Highway 203). Keep your eyes on the left side of the road for a small building (it was a wooden structure in 99 and it had a large parking area to the right of it). You are looking for Big Ed’s Gas Farm. I know that there is a bus stop directly in front of this store. It looks nothing like Big Ed’s so it is hard to find. If you are looking at the building, and look to the left, you will see the Hurley home and that window….

By now, you’ve seen almost everything in this area, except for one place: the picnic scene. I leave this one for last because it gives you a great shot on a clear day of the Twin Peaks area, including the mill. From Big Ed’s you could get there a couple of ways, the fastest might be to continue south on 203 until you get to Interstate 90 (the town is Preston). Head south back to North Bend. About halfway to North Bend you should see an exit (I hope) for Winery Road or for SE North Bend Way. If you can get off here, get onto the Winery Road which is on the south side of 90 and follow it up to where it dead ends. Then look out toward North Bend. This is the picnic scene and the scene where James sits looking at the necklace.

If there is no exit here, head all the way to North Bend, follow the same directions as the beginning of this document but go left at the intersection of the Double R (the road is se North Bend Way). Go down this road and it will end up turning left and going under 90 and then veering left again up the hill.

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND

Bainbridge Island is where the Kiana Lodge is located and where Pete’s house is, the interior of the Great Northern, and also the log that Laura was found under. You will need to take a ferry to get to the island. Check around for ferries going to Bainbridge Island. If you get on a ferry from Seattle downtown area, you will end up going to number of ports is my guess. Basically, head north on the island until you go across this long bridge and go onto another island. The road veers somewhat south. As you keep going, you should see a sign sooner or later that says Kiana Lodge. Veer to the left and continue down the road until you see Kiana.

A few notes about Kiana Lodge, call in advance and ask them if they mind you coming up in the morning before they have any meetings. They have weddings and other things here and will kick you out.

Kiana Lodge’s information is the following:
14976 Sandy Hook Rd NE, Poulsbo, WA 98370
(360) 598-4311

DOWNTOWN SEATTLE
The interior of the Roadhouse is VERY, VERY hard to find. It took four of us a few hours to finally find it, and we ended up just walking and basically running accidentally into it.

I don’t remember the exact name of the bar, but Timberline seems correct, but I couldn’t find it in Yahoo’s Yellow Pages. I will try and find out the info here. Please call in advance if you are going to try and visit the place. The owner was nice enough to let us look around in 99.

OTHER FILMING LOCATIONS

The pilot and a few scenes throughout the series were filmed in the Washington area, however, in many cases, the exteriors were filmed around the Los Angeles area. I don’t know these locations. Also the homes of Donna and Laura are in Washington but these are private residences so I will not be posting nor giving out that information, per request.