Newhalem

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 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).

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

Photo via Cascade Loop Scenic Highway