Welcome to the real Twin Peaks

"Welcome to Twin Peaks, Population 51,201," read the sign along a remote mountain road in the opening sequence of the cult 1990 TV show. The sign has gone, but the towering Douglas firs still evoke the show's opening scenes in which FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) drove into Twin Peaks marvelling at the trees, saying: "They're really something."

Twin Peaks isn't a real town but many of the show's locations can be found between Fall City and North Bend, off highway 90 east of Seattle, Washington state. A dense mist arises from the Snoqualmie Falls and blankets the grandiose Salish Lodge at the top of the waters, the exterior of Twin Peaks' Great Northern Hotel, run by the duplicitous Ben Horne.

The vinyl booths of the Double R Diner in which the lovers canoodled, and the swivel stools where Cooper would sit and savour a slice of pie and a "damn good cup of coffee," can be found at Twede's Cafe in North Bend.

In Snoqualmie, a rusted trestle bridge over the Snoqualmie River was where a bloodied Ronette Pulaski stumbled across after surviving Palmer's killer.

The former mill office, which played the role of the Twin Peaks sheriff's department, is now a driving range. A replica Twin Peaks sheriff's vehicle sits in the parking lot.

The picturesque Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo, west of Seattle, sitting on the Suquamish reservation overlooking the Puget Sound, played numerous roles in Twin Peaks. The cedar-panelled hall inside is where a coquettish Audrey Horne interrupted a convention of Norwegian investors at the Great Northern Hotel. The rustic venue also doubled as the show's Blue Pine Lodge, home to the Martells and Josie Packard, who ran the sawmill.

Most notably, the lodge is where Palmer's plastic-wrapped body washed up next to a large log. Today, a plaque commemorates the pivotal scene a few metres away from the weather-worn cedar tree remnant tethered to the sand, where fans like to take photos lying next to "Laura's Log".

The locations became characters in Twin Peaks, harbouring sordid secrets of drugs, prostitution and dark supernatural forces in the wake of Laura Palmer's murder. Production of Twin Peaks moved to California after the first episode and interior settings were replicated on sound stages, but the real locations still draw fans today.

David Lynch's groundbreaking TV series about a murdered homecoming queen reboots this week after 26 years. Those involved with the show have closely guarded details of the new season, but the spectacular scenery of Washington state is expected to play a starring role once again. "A sense of place is very important," director David Lynch told Reuters. "You try to get the place to marry with the ideas, so we found these places and that's Twin Peaks."

Showtime has released a teaser trailer from the new season, and the footage reveals a series of familiar locations to get fans excited. Some of the spots include the sheriff's department, the red curtained-room, the Double R Diner and Laura Palmer's house.