National Register of Historic Places

Devil's Corner Cliff Walk

Newhalem, Whatcom County, Washington
Listed
June 6, 1974
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
74000909

About this property

The Devil's Corner Cliff Walk, also known as the Devils Elbow is a feature of Ross Lake National Recreation Area. The stretch of trail that is referred to as the Devils Corner is about 500 ft. The walk was originally part of a longer trail named the Goat Trail. The area the trail is now was first traversed by miners in the late 1870's. It wasn't until the 1890's when a tunnel was blasted into the cliffside and the wooden suspension bridge across the gorge was built that Devil's Corner was fully established. It functioned as pedestrian transportation across the Skagit River Valley until around the start of the 20th century. The trail was subject to many snow slides and rockfalls which would occasionally make it impassible by pedestrians. In 1912, the U.S Forest Service repaired the bridge and widened it to make safe for foot and horse traffic. Further repairs were undertaken in the 1920's by miners using wood from the Goodell Creek Sawmill. The trail fell out of popularity around the 1920's when the Seattle City Light railroad was built through the area. Other modes of transportation were built around the Skagit River Valley, such as North Cascades Highway. By the mid 1970's, the suspension bridge fell into disrepair and was considered unsafe for pedestrians. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The bridge was destroyed in 2015 during the Goodell Fire.

Location

Newhalem, Whatcom County, Washington
48.69102, -121.22420

Categories

TRANSPORTATIONCOMMUNICATIONS
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Gorge Hydroelectric Power Plants
Listed
0.2 mi
Skagit River and Newhalem Creek Hydroelectric Projects
Listed
0.9 mi
Skagit River and Newhalem Creek Hydroelectric Projects (Boundary Increase)
Listed
3.1 mi
Diablo Hydroelectric Power Plant
Listed
4.3 mi
Sourdough Mountain Lookout
Industrial
6.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Devil's Corner Cliff Walk listed on the National Register?

Devil's Corner Cliff Walk was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 6, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Devil's Corner Cliff Walk?

Devil's Corner Cliff Walk is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Devil's Corner Cliff Walk?

The period of significance for Devil's Corner Cliff Walk is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Devil's Corner Cliff Walk?

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