State patrol adds troopers for Eagle Falls parking problems

INDEX — People flocking to Eagle Falls officially caught the attention of the Washington State Patrol, which announced an emphasis on the stretch of U.S. 2.

The area east of Index swelled in popularity in part due to social media apps, such as Instagram and TikTok, officials from the Sky Valley Fire District and Washington State Patrol said.

But there’s not a lot of nearby legal, safe vehicle space and instead of moving on to another location, people are parking over the fog line and partially into the travel lanes of the 60 mph highway. To deter it, earlier this month the Washington State Department of Transportation painted “No Parking” areas and state patrol troopers patrolled the area, issued parking tickets and in rare cases towed vehicles.

“Due to the continuous illegal parking problems that are still taking place, additional WSP troopers will be on duty to patrol the Eagle Falls area,” the Washington State Patrol said in a news release. “If you’re going to visit the area make sure you do not park in areas where parking is restricted.”

Several people drowned or needed rescue this summer as they jumped into the Skykomish River at a spot where the water funnels between rocks, creating dangerous rapids.