Iron Horse State Park
Encyclopedia
Iron Horse State Park, part of the Washington State Park System
Washington State Park System
The Washington State Park System is a set of state parks owned by the state government of Washington, USA. They are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. As of 2011, the parks are primarily funded through the state's general fund, augmented by usage fees...
, is a 1612 acres (7 km²) state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
located in the Cascade Mountains and Yakima River
Yakima River
The Yakima River is a tributary of the Columbia River in south central and eastern Washington State, named for the indigenous Yakama people. The length of the river from headwaters to mouth is , with an average drop of .-Course:...
Valley, between Cedar Falls on the west and the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
on the east.
The park is a rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
that crosses Snoqualmie Pass
Snoqualmie Pass
Snoqualmie Pass is a mountain pass that carries Interstate 90 through the Cascade Range in the U.S. State of Washington. The elevation of the pass summit is , and is on the county line between Kittitas County and King County...
. The heritage park commemorating railroading was once in the right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
of The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
. The right-of-way was acquired by the state, through a quitclaim deed
Quitclaim deed
A quitclaim deed is a legal instrument by which the owner of a piece of real property, called the grantor, transfers his interest to a recipient, called the grantee. The owner/grantor terminates his right and claim to the property, thereby allowing claim to transfer to the...
, as a result of the railroad's 1977 bankruptcy, leading to the railroad's decision to embargo all traffic to the west coast in 1980. The state acquired the land in the early 1980s and eventually converted into a 110 miles (177 km) of hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, and horseback riding trail. It is the developed portion of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail
John Wayne Pioneer Trail
The John Wayne Pioneer Trail follows the former roadbed of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad for across two-thirds of Washington from the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains to the Idaho border. The Chicago, Milwaukee, St...
, which continues to the Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
border.
The trail west continues as the Snoqualmie Valley Trail of the King County Regional Trail System. The trail east along the old Milwaukee Road is also called John Wayne Pioneer Trail, though Europeans arrived by boat or by travelling north from The Oregon Trail (1840), or the railhead near south Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
(1853 or c. 1872, respectively). Arrival to the Snoqualmie Cascades of the Great Northern Railway in 1910 and the Chicago, Milwaukee and Puget Sound Railway in 1911 provided one of the means for development of the logging railroads and timber industry that eventually cut nearly all the Cascade Mountains forests. The park is part of the Mountains to Sound Greenway preserving the scenic corridor.
Recreation
Like most rails-to-trails projects, Iron Horse is popular with hikers and cyclists. There are many trail heads across the state, most with modern facilities, ample parking for a less common trail, and even a handful of campgrounds.The trail passes through mostly woodland, along lakes and waterfalls, and goes directly through the divide at the old Snoqualmie Tunnel
Snoqualmie Tunnel
The Snoqualmie Tunnel is an abandoned railroad tunnel at Snoqualmie Pass at the border of King County and Kittitas County in Washington State. It is long. The tunnel now serves as part of a rail trail in Iron Horse State Park. The trail is called the John Wayne Pioneer Trail, but sometimes also...
. The park is easily accessible from I-90.
Iron Horse seems to be more popular for its scenery than its history, although it is less well-known than other nearby areas like the Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a large wilderness area spanning the Cascade Range of Washington state in the United States. The wilderness is located in parts of Wenatchee National Forest and Snoqualmie National Forest, and is approximately bounded by Interstate 90 and Snoqualmie Pass to the south...
or Snoqualmie Falls
Snoqualmie Falls
Snoqualmie Falls is a 268 ft waterfall on the Snoqualmie River between Snoqualmie and Fall City, Washington, USA. It is one of Washington's most popular scenic attractions, but is perhaps best known internationally for its appearance in the cult television series Twin Peaks...
.
The park trail continues through the Town of South Cle Elum
South Cle Elum, Washington
South Cle Elum is a town in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 457 at the 2000 census.-History:In mid 1909, the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Railway chose Cle Elum as a division point between the Coast and Columbia divisions on its future transcontinental line...
where the preserved Milwaukee Road depot and substation, as well as the remains of the rail yard are located. The depot, substation, and rail yard
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad: South Cle Elum Yard
The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad South Cle Elum Rail Yard located in South Cle Elum, Washington, was a division point on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad's Coast Division...
are listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. There is a small museum in the depot. In Kittitas
Kittitas, Washington
Kittitas is a city in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,381 at the 2010 census.There are numerous interpretations of the name, which is from the language of the Kittitas American Indian language. According to one source, it "has been said to mean everything from...
, the trail passes The Milwaukee Road depot
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad-Kittitas Depot
The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad-Kittitas Depot is a railroad station in Kittitas, Washington that was built in 1909 by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad as part of the railroad's Pacific Extension....
and the ruins of one of the substations. That depot is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to these buildings, other infrastructure remains, such as tunnels and bridges.
See also
- List of rail trails
- Northwest Railway MuseumNorthwest Railway MuseumThe Northwest Railway Museum is a railroad museum in Snoqualmie, King County, Washington.-Snoqualmie Depot:The museum owns the Snoqualmie Depot built in 1890, of railroad right-of-way, and of the former Northern Pacific Railway North Bend branch...
- Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern RailwaySeattle, Lake Shore and Eastern RailwayThe Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway was a railroad founded in Seattle, Washington, on April 28, 1885, with three tiers of purposes: Build and run the initial line to the town of Ballard, bring immediate results and returns to investors; exploit resources east in the valleys, foothills,...
- Snoqualmie PassSnoqualmie PassSnoqualmie Pass is a mountain pass that carries Interstate 90 through the Cascade Range in the U.S. State of Washington. The elevation of the pass summit is , and is on the county line between Kittitas County and King County...
- Hyak, WashingtonHyak, WashingtonHyak is an unincorporated community located on Snoqualmie Pass in Kittitas County, Washington.Hyak was established around 1915 at the eastern portal of the Snoqualmie Pass Milwaukee Road Railroad tunnel. Originally a train station, the community began to grow in the 1930s when the railroad built a...
External links
- "Chicago Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad through the Cascades" image, courtesy of MoHI (Museum of History and Industry).
