North Cascades

RECREATION AND TOURISM IN THE MOUNTAINS

HOSTELRIES AND RESORTS

Skagit River

Lodging on the west side of the mountains was readily available for a number of years in the upper Skagit valley. It was, however, not as developed or luxurious as Stehekin lodging. Roadhouses, private homes with rooms for rent, provided the sole accommodations for tourists. The first roadhouse built along the Skagit River was at Goodell's Landing. It was operated by August Dohne between 1897 and 1918. Another hostelry, at the confluence of Ruby Creek and the south bank of the Skagit River, was the Ruby Creek Inn. John McMillan and his wife ran this roadhouse from the late 1910s until the early 1920s. In 1925 this "inn" was operated by H.B. Brown, followed by his wife Louise, until the USFS canceled their special use permit in 1930. [44] The Davis family used their homestead at Cedar Bar as a roadhouse beginning in the 1890s, serving miners and other travelers until the 1920s. Their roadhouse became a well-known reststop in the wilderness. There was also a roadhouse at Bacon Creek which operated for an unknown period of time.

On the west side of the mountain divide, the damming of the Skagit River created a new paradise for boaters and fishermen alike. The enormous man-made reservoirs of Diablo and Ross Lakes, the latter of which reaches to the Canadian border, are perfect for trout fishing, canoeing, and motor boating. The completion of the North Cascades Highway in 1972 opened up this northern country in a remarkable way. Access to trails heading deep into the backcountry has been facilitated by this road and by numerous former logging roads still extant within or skirting today's park. Hikers enjoy walks to mountain top lookouts, glacial lakes, and other well- known destinations. Mountain climbers head into the brush to ascend ridges in the vast sea of peaks which comprise this mountain range. Others merely enjoy a drive through the park, cruising past glimpses of the wilderness beyond the highway.

McMillan's Roadhouse at Ruby Creek. Early settler and miner John McMillan at right.
(Thompson Collection, Washtucna, Washington)