Hidden in the forested hills near Black Diamond, the Franklin Ghost Town hike offers a short, atmospheric walk through history. The 2.5-mile round-trip trail follows an old mining road through mossy trees to the remnants of a 19th-century coal town — including rusted equipment, stone foundations, and a gated mine shaft. A side path leads to a small hillside cemetery where ferns now grow between the weathered headstones. Easy and family-friendly, this trail blends quiet woodland beauty with a haunting glimpse into Washington’s mining past.
I led some folks from my hiking club on a "haunted" hike at the old Franklin Ghost Town site. We saw some cool old coal mining structures but got off track a bit on some dirt roads. Once we were back on track we found the old cemetery and the old coal cart tracks that are suspended in the air. Once we were done investigating the site, we drove over to Black Diamond and checked out the museum to learn more about the old Franklin town site. Later we investigated the bakery which was amazing.
