North Cascades

RECREATION AND TOURISM IN THE MOUNTAINS

ACTIVITY AND RECREATION

West Side

The west side of the mountains was not promoted by the private sector as extensively as the Lake Chelan area. Access here was far more difficult because of the rugged terrain. Although fish, game, and scenery were equally plentiful, it was chiefly miners and USFS personnel who took advantage of these resources. Tourists were welcome to stay at the Bacon Creek and Cedar Bar roadhouses or the Ruby Inn before heading into the backcountry, but most registered guests were miners rather than outdoor enthusiasts. Tourism was encouraged in a serious way for the first time by Seattle City Light (SCL).

Beginning in the mid-1920s, the SCL Skagit Tours became a phenomenal success. Thousands of visitors from Seattle and elsewhere were entertained on an inexpensive two-day tour which included breathtaking views of the mountains, train rides, home-cooked meals, exotic animals, tropical garden walks, boat rides, movies, and tours of SCL's hydroelectric plants and programs, all set in the wilderness of the North Cascades. [11] The year 1937 brought 21,000 tourists into the remote upper valley. [12] In general, however, this was a very limited -- and controlled -- form of recreation. For the most part, only a handful of mountain climbers, fishermen, and hunters made any effort to recreate on their own in the upper Skagit valley until general access to the region improved.

Launch point for Seattle City Light's Skagit Tour, Rockport, Washington, n.d.
(Photo courtesy of SCL)