Skykomish Ranger District
District at a Glance
The Skykomish Ranger District is an area of spectacular beauty
with more than 150 mountain lakes, high rocky peaks, alpine meadows,
snowfields, old-growth forests, and hundreds of miles of clear rushing
streams and rivers boasting some of Washington's best whitewater
rafting. The Ranger District encompasses 316,522 acres of National
Forest System land with 140 miles of trails. The District is also
home to more than 112,000 acres of wilderness, 13,179 acres of the
Mount Index Scenic Area, and 13,000 acres of the Stevens Pass Historic
District and ski area.
Unique and Special Places
Discover the Stevens Pass Historic District
The Stevens Pass Historic District was placed on the National Register
of Historic Places in 1976. This 13,000-acre area included the accessible
Iron
Goat Trail, which is a significant part of Pacific Northwest
history. The trail follows an old Great Northern Railway line displaying
remarkable engineering feats of the 1900s. Interpretive signs along
the trail will help to carry your imagination from the past to the
present.
Deception
Falls Nature Trail and Picnic Area is also an important historic
place. This inviting area comes equipped with a covered picnic shelter,
tables, and restroom facilities, all of which are accessible. The
roar of water can be heard as you pass through the woods to an opening
with a view of the rushing Deception Creek. Stone cobble walls border
the edge, with an extraordinary steel arch bridge spanning the creek.
In the spring, when water levels are high, you can expect to be
dampened by the spray.
Looking for something a little more rugged? Enjoy the beauty of
a high alpine lake along the 7-mile roundtrip Lake
Serene Trail. This trail which is located off of Highway 2 in
the Mt. Index Scenic Area, climbs through a second-growth forest,
with a side-trip to the edge of majestic Bridal Veil Falls. At the
trail's end, the skyscraping wall of Mt. Index shoot up in the cirque
forming the lake.
Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail stretches from Canada to
Mexico. Fifty-three miles of the trail passes right through the
Skykomish Ranger District, from Meander Meadow to Deception Pass,
and into the adjacent Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
Horsing Around
There
are almost 100 miles of stock trail within the Skykomish Ranger
District, mainly in the Henry
M. Jackson Wilderness Area. This includes over 50 miles of the
Pacific Crest Trail.
Horses aren't the only pack animals you'll see in the forest; don't
be surprised if you come across an occasional llama or goat, both
are welcome on stock trails. Llamas and horses even volunteer in
trail maintenance, accommodating the restriction of motorized equipment
in the designated wilderness areas. Both were instrumental in bringing
food and provisions to Student Conservation Association Urban Youth
Corps Volunteers, laboring in a weeklong work party on the Quarz
Creek Trail. Horses were an invaluable resource, as they hauled
in heavy timber used to make puncheon repairs on the North Fork
Skykomish River Trail.
These mountain trails range from well-maintained ridge trails,
such as West Cady, to rougher, steeper, and narrower trails recommended
only for experience horses and riders.
If you're planning on visiting the popular West Cady Ridge Trail
with stock, remember the last 1.5 miles of the road is not recommended
for stock trailers or low clearance vehicles. Park at the West Cady Trailhead, and hike the last 1.5 miles to the
North
Fork Skykomish River Trailhead. |