North Cascades

RECREATION AND TOURISM IN THE MOUNTAINS

GETTING THERE

Thoughts of recreating in the wilds of the North Cascades came shortly after the prospectors began mining the resources and settlers had homesteaded the land. The very qualities which deterred some individuals from coming to the area (hard life, remoteness, etc.) attracted others who wanted to explore the backwoods for challenge and pure enjoyment. The North Cascades, however, were not exploited on a grand scale like other wilderness/recreation areas. The transportation and communication difficulties prevented elaborate developments. Consequently, recreationists and visitors to this region of the Pacific Northwest had fewer conveniences available to them, and their experiences in the backcountry were more rugged.

In the early years of tourism, the Field Hotel at the head of Lake Chelan was a major force in the development of a tourist trade. It supplied visitors -- mainly recreationists and miners -- with nearly everything they needed. Dismantled in the late 1920s, the large resort was replaced by a simpler but notable lodge which remains today. Hostelries on the west side of the divide along the Skagit River were commonly known as roadhouses, and none of the four which operated -- Bacon Creek Lodge, the Davis Roadhouse, Goodell's Landing, and the Ruby Inn--stand today.

As increased numbers of visitors headed into the backcountry, the USFS directed thoughts to the recreation potential of the lands under its jurisdiction. As a means of protecting both forest resources and visitors, the USFS began a program of building log shelters. These 3-sided structures were thoughtfully designed and sensitive to their backwoods setting. Over the years, changes in administration and management policies have resulted in the removal of nearly all of these shelters.

Campers, hikers, and mountain climbers in the Stehekin valley were joined by individuals seeking summer and/or retirement homes in the 1940s. A Stehekin resident (well-known for building the Golden West Lodge) was responsible for constructing several log cabins and homes at the head of Lake Chelan. Sub-division of the early Stehekin homesteads has since brought increased numbers of residents and prefabricated homes to the valley, many of which do not share the rustic appearance and sensitivity to the environment characteristic of their predecessors.

It is recommended that the history of recreation and resort development within the North Cascades be interpreted as a historic theme significant to the overall human history of the national park.

The following resources are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places within the historic theme identified in this chapter:

GEORGE MILLER HOUSE, a handsome log residence built in 1940 by valley resident Jack Blankenship, is a fine example of recreation home building in the Stehekin valley. The structure utilizes native materials to create a building rustic in appearance and sensitive to its surroundings.

GOLDEN WEST LODGE COMPLEX, including the lodge, garage, cabins 10, 11,12, the Craft Shop, Outdoor Store, and Photo Shop, is eligible for the National Register for its associations with the razed Field Hotel, valley resident and log cabin builder Jack Blankenship, and its status as the only extant example of large-scale wilderness resort development in the North Cascades. The complex retains its cluster of associated outbuildings and many landscape features including a fairly sophisticated series of rock-walled terraces leading from the lodge to the lake.

BEAVER PASS, PERRY CREEK, BRIDGE CREEK, HIGH BRIDGE, AND FLICK CREEK SHELTERS, built in the 1930s, are the only extant shelters remaining in a wilderness region which formerly hosted more than a dozen such structures built for recreational use.

Because it does not meet the criteria, it is recommended that the Stehekin Landing Cafe not be nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.

It is recommended that the Peterson Cabin and the McKellar Cabin, both built in the 1940s by Stehekin resident, hotel owner, and log cabin builder Jack Blankenship, be placed on the area's List of Classified Structures, because of their association with a person significant to Stehekin 's development and as good examples of different types of log construction in the park.

It is recommended that the Little Beaver Shelter be placed on the List of Classified Structures for its association with recreation in the park.