Newhalem

Aerial view of the town of Newhalem.

Courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives 134220

Quick Facts

Location:

On State Route 20 at mile post 120.5

Significance:

Company town containing accessible trails and points of historical and cultural interest.

The Newhalem area is home to a handful of accessible trails, including the nearby Sterling Munro Boardwalk, the Trail of the Cedars, and the Rock Shelter Trail. By crossing the Skagit River via a footbridge at the Gorge Powerhouse, visitors can hike to the top of Ladder Creek Falls and soak up the sights and sounds of a glacially-fed waterfall. The nearby Gorge Powerhouse contains a visitor gallery that is open to the public and provides a look at the workings of a hydroelectric powerhouse, as well as the history of the Skagit Hydroelectric Project. The Gorge Powerhouse visitor gallery is operated by Seattle City Light. Hours of operation are set by Seattle City Light.

The town of Newhalem that visitors see today is a company town owned and operated by Seattle City Light. Explore the grounds with access to bathrooms, a General Store, and the Skagit Information Center (seasonally). Residences and other buildings are closed to visitors. There are no fuel or service stations in Newhalem or elsewhere along the highway in park boundaries. The closest locations are Marblemount to the west or Winthrop to the east.

Visitors today can explore an interconnected network of easy walking trails that wind through dense forest, skirt the edge of a recent wildfire, and meander along the banks of the Skagit River. Interpretive trails and waysides explore topics ranging from the Skagit Hydroelectric Project to the lives of native peoples who have a deep and continuing relationship with this place that they have called home for millennia. 

Located on the banks of the mighty Skagit River at the mouth of the narrow Skagit Gorge, Newhalem has been a home and place of refuge for humans since time immemorial.