The Long Way
Snohomish County
A campsite with a picnic table, fire ring, and tree stumps in a forest.
Plate I. Wooded campsite, Mountain Loop Scenic Byway. From fs.usda.gov
A wooded campsite with tall trees, a picnic table, and logs under a blue sky.
Plate II. Campsite along Mountain Loop Scenic Byway. From fs.usda.gov
A river flows through a dense forest under a clear blue sky.
Plate III. River along Mountain Loop Scenic Byway. From fs.usda.gov
A rocky riverbank alongside a flowing river under a cloudy sky.
Plate IV. River landscape along Mountain Loop Scenic Byway. From fs.usda.gov

Mountain Loop Scenic Byway

Granite Falls, Snohomish County, Washington. National Forest Scenic Byway.

Details

Map. Granite Falls, Snohomish County, Washington. Larger map
Where
1405 Emens Avenue North, Darrington, Granite Falls, WA 98241. Directions
When
Darrington Ranger Station starting October 2: Monday and Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm; closed 12:00-1:00 pm for lunch; closed Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays.
Season
Late spring through fall (snow lingers at Barlow Pass through late spring, limiting the full loop).
Getting there
From Rockport, travel south on Route 530. The byway starts at Darrington and follows Route 530 for 27 miles through the national forest to Robe.
Fees
Recreation passes honored: Digital Passes, Northwest Forest Pass, and Interagency Recreation Passes. Washington State Discover Pass is not valid at US Fee Sites.
Access
Paved from Verlot to Barlow Pass and from Darrington to the White Chuck River Road junction. The middle 14 miles is a single-lane gravel road. Snow lingers at Barlow Pass through late spring, so the full loop is usually driven late spring through fall.
Walk-in or reserve
See Recreation.gov for Campground fees and reservations.
Phone
(360) 436-1155
Website
recreation.gov
Managed by
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Darrington Ranger District.
Established
1991.

A 55-mile National Forest Scenic Byway connecting Darrington with Granite Falls, passing through boom-and-bust town sites, abandoned mining claims, rushing rivers, and glacier-clad peaks.

Notable Events

  1. 1889Joseph L. Persall staked his claim in a newly platted mining region of Snohomish County and named it the Independence of 1776 Mine. discoverdarrington.com
  2. 1891A caravan of horse and oxen moving tons of equipment reached Monte Cristo, blasting and building a road as they went. discoverdarrington.com
  3. 1930The lobbying began in 1930, and the roadway was built in segments east from Granite Falls beginning in the early years of the Great Depression. mynorthwest.com
  4. 1932In early spring 1932 another massive flood and the Depression's effects on logging and tourism to Big Four Inn led to a shutdown of regular railroad service. historylink.org
  5. 1933The railroad was halted permanently in April 1933. mynorthwest.com
  6. 1934Snohomish County opened the present steel-truss bridge at Granite Falls in July 1934. historylink.org
  7. 1936Workers began removing rails on the abandoned Hartford Eastern Railway between Hartford and Monte Cristo, clearing the way for a new Forest Service road along the South Fork Stillaguamish River. historylink.org
  8. 1938In 1938 the first truck made it through, carrying lumber to build Ted Turner's home just west of Silverton. historylink.org
  9. 1941The CCC Camp Darrington crew from the north and the Verlot crew from the south connected the road at Barlow Pass. discoverdarrington.com
  10. 1941The crews working from both sides linked up in December 1941, just in time for wartime restrictions and closures. historylink.org
  11. 1942The highway was officially dedicated on Oct. 19, 1942. mynorthwest.com
  12. 1975The Federal Highway Administration replaced the three deteriorating log bridges across the South Fork Sauk River with concrete ones. historylink.org
  13. 1990In 1990 the highway moved to the west side of the Sauk River due to ongoing washouts, disconnecting the original CCC road. discoverdarrington.com
  14. 1991The road was designated a Scenic Byway in 1991. fs.usda.gov

People

  • John Quincey Barlow, Surveyor who discovered a railroad route from Everett to Monte Cristo (1891).
  • Joseph L. Persall, Prospector who staked the first claim in the mining region, the Independence of 1776 Mine (1889).
  • Sam Strom, Local prospector whose claim the CCC road crossed; ran a 25-cent toll gate on it.
  • Wyatt and Bethel Rucker, Hartford sawmill owners who leased the railway, renamed it the Hartford Eastern, and built Big Four Inn (Around 1915).
  • Mon Wallgren, Everett Democratic congressman (later governor) who demanded action on the highway (1891-1961).
  • Perry Black, Everett attorney who chaired the Everett Chamber of Commerce Roads and Highways Committee, most active in pressing for the highway.

Sources

  1. fs.usda.gov/r06/mbs/recreation/mountain-loop-scenic-byway
  2. fhwaapps.fhwa.dot.gov/bywaysp/byway/55512
  3. recreation.gov/gateways/13761
  4. snohomishcountywa.gov/518/Road-Closures
  5. historylink.org/File/8460
  6. discoverdarrington.com/history-2/history-of-the-mountain-loop-highway
  7. mynorthwest.com/history/all-over-the-map-mountain-loop-hightway-treasured-landscape/2878314