Trail : Upper Newhalem Creek

Trail Rating : Good trail. Some overgrowth due to lack of maintenance.

Description : This trail is near the Northern Cascades National Park visitors center. It is reached from a gravel road that is 100 yards from the visitors center parking lot. Adding the run up the road to the trailhead increases the distance another mile each way. The climb is about 600-700 feet on the road and probably another 200 feet on the trail. As you near the top of the road you will hear a tremendous roar off to the left. Through the trees you can make out a phenominal cascade that falls about 200 feet. Because of the trees the view is limited.

The trail from the back of the parking area at the end of the road is a single track. The ground cover is fir needles. There are a few rocky areas where the trail crosses or follows winter runoff washes. As the sign says at the start of the trail, the first mile was last maintained in 1998, the remainder is only open from hiker passage. In the spring and summer there is a lot of overgrowth on the trail, mostly harmless plants with a few briars.

Nearest City : Newhalem, WA

Driving Directions : On Rt 20 along the Skaggit River. Park entrance is about 1/2 mile west of Newhalem(about 120 miles NE of Seattle)