The Real Great Northern, Exterior

At the time of filming in 1989, the interior of the historic Snoqualmie Falls Lodge, built 1919, was undergoing major renovations. The hotel would soon become the luxurious Salish Lodge and Spa. Only the lodge's exterior was used for the show:the view of the hotel from the falls side, the hotel sign, and the parking lot and main entrance. Of course, the most striking part of any trip to the lodge is experiencing Snoqualmie Falls in person. The falls' roaring thunder and clouds of mist are unforgettable. I remember the first time I stood there, in awe...it was truly transporting.
I had hoped that while staying at the Salish Lodge, that there'd be something Twin Peaks-ish about its interior –no luck. The hotel is lovely, however, and it's certainly a great place to stay, especially because it's so close to many of the other filming locations. Below, a photo of the room I stayed in.
All of the interiors of the Great Northern were filmed at the Kiana Lodge (pilot only) in Poulsbo, WA, which was also used as the exterior and interior of the Martell/Packard residence (see The Blue Pine Lodge) or on sets later built in L.A.. What's really interesting, and a bit hard to swallow upon arrival at the Salish Lodge and Spa, is that it's actually right up against a highway. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bustling highway by any means, but I always pictured it being a little more nestled in the forest, perhaps at the end of a long wooded drive. In episode 13, they use a never before (or after) seen stock shot, in which they pan from the highway over to the hotel. A section of that shot, showing the highway, is shown below.
Here are some photos of the lodge from its earliest days on through to the late 60's, before they expanded.

BACK TO INTWINPEAKS.COM...