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29-526: The Little Wenatchee River begins at Dishpan Gap, a pass between the headwaters of the Little Wenatchee River and North Fork Skykomish River . The river flows southeast for a bit before turning south until its confluence with Cady Creek. From there it continues to flow southeast all the way to Lake Wenatchee . At Little Wenatchee Falls, the river drops about 60 feet (18 m) in a series of cascades. For part of its 7.2-mile (11.6 km) length,

58-541: Is a 29-mile (47 km) long river in the U.S. state of Washington which drains the west side of the Cascade Mountains in the southeast section of Snohomish County and the northeast corner of King County . The river starts with the confluence of the North Fork Skykomish River and South Fork Skykomish River approximately one mile west of Index , then flowing northwesterly towards Puget Sound . It

87-508: Is a few miles south of Stevens Pass. Its western entrance is near the confluence of Tunnel Creek and the Tye River. A small amount of the water flows out of both tunnels into the Tye River. An interpretive center for the Iron Goat Trail , located at Scenic on the upper Tye River, describes the history of the area including the old railroad and new trail. The interpretive center was built near

116-620: Is a tributary of the South Fork Skykomish. The Tye River is named for W.H. Tye (or William Francis Tye), a surveyor for the Great Northern Railway who laid out the rail grade to Stevens Pass. The Tye River originates on the west side of the crest of the North Cascades on Cowboy Mountain at Stevens Pass. It flows west, then southwest, collecting numerous small tributary streams. At 9.2 mi (14.8 km) upstream from

145-745: Is joined by the Sultan River and the Wallace River at Sultan . It then meets the Snoqualmie River to form the Snohomish River at Monroe . The Snohomish River continues along the river valley eventually dumping into Port Gardner Bay on Possession Sound (part of Puget Sound). The name "Skykomish" comes from the Lushootseed name of the Skykomish people, sq̓ixʷəbš , meaning "upriver people." It

174-658: Is named after the Great Northern surveyor John Frank Stevens . Two railroad tunnels, both called Cascade Tunnel , were built at Stevens Pass. The first one was built slightly north of the pass. It was replaced in 1929 with the New Cascade Tunnel, which at 7.8 miles (12.6 km) long was for nearly 60 years the longest railroad tunnel in North America and is still the longest in the United States. The New Cascade Tunnel

203-588: Is not entirely clear if the water is safe for consumption. Lake Creek Campground is along the Little Wenatchee 11 miles (18 km) upstream of Lake Wenatchee. The campground consists of 7 sites spread under an open but shady section of forest a short walk from the river. There are 2 pit toilets but no other amenities. A short loop trail leaves from the campground and follows the river for a ways leading you past two beautiful pools for fishing or swimming in hot weather. Skykomish River The Skykomish River

232-574: Is sometimes referred to by the nickname "Sky River" or "The Sky". The Skykomish River's main stem is 29 miles (47 km) long, from the confluence of its North and South fork, until it and the Snoqualmie forms the Snohomish River. Adding the longest headwater tributaries, South Fork Skykomish and Tye River, the length is 62.4 miles (100 km). The Skykomish's drainage basin is 834 square miles (2,160 km ) in area. U.S. Highway 2 and

261-708: The BNSF Railway are routed to follow the Skykomish River, South Fork Skykomish, and Tye River to Stevens Pass and the Cascade Tunnel . The headwaters of the North Fork Skykomish River are located in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness near Dishpan Gap along the Pacific Crest Trail . It flows as a small stream off the north slope of Skykomish Peak . The Wild Sky Wilderness protects tributaries and forests adjacent to

290-650: The Foss River to form the South Fork Skykomish River . Its waters eventually empty into Puget Sound near Everett via the Skykomish River and Snohomish River . U.S. Route 2 follows the river's entire length. A BNSF Railway line follows most of the river except near the pass where the tracks use the Cascade Tunnel . Powerlines run by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) follow

319-578: The Little Wenatchee Trail follows the river. The trail runs from a trailhead at the end Little Wenatchee River Road to the Pacific Crest Trail . The Little Wenatchee Ford Trailhead also provides access to Cady Creek Trail, Cady Ridge Trail, and Poe Mountain Trail. Soda Springs Campground, 9 miles (14 km) from Lake Wenatchee, has 5 campsites and a vault toilet. There is a natural soda spring here that bubbles cool mineral water up from underground. It

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348-583: The North Fork Skykomish, although not the river itself. The river flows generally in a southwestern direction from its source to its mouth. Just before picking up Goblin Creek, the river flows through a short but impressive canyon and within that canyon the river drops over Deer Falls . A short ways down from that, the river flows through an even shorter but very twisted and unusually shaped canyon at Bear Creek Falls . The South Fork Skykomish River begins at

377-712: The North Fork which has an average flow of 1,216 cu ft/s (34.4 m /s) from a drainage area of 146 square miles (380 km ). In turn the source of the South Fork – in terms of streamflow – is the Rapid River , a tributary of the Beckler River , which in turn is a tributary of the South Fork Skykomish. Glacial loss in the higher portion of the watershed in the Cascades has led to declining streamflow, especially during

406-409: The North Fork. According to the U.S. Geological Survey , the South Fork is about twice the size of the North Fork in terms of both discharge and watershed area above their confluence at Index, making it the true hydrologic source of the Skykomish River. The South Fork average flow of 2,431 cu ft/s (68.8 m /s) is sourced from a drainage area of 355 square miles (920 km ), compared to

435-614: The Tye River west of Tunnel Creek. Most of the Tye River drainage basin is within Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest . The Tye River is considered the continuation of the South Fork Skykomish River above the Foss River confluence. However, the true source of the South Fork Skykomish, in terms of streamflow is not the Tye River but the Rapid River , a tributary of the Beckler River , which in turn

464-526: The Tye's mouth, near the Cascade Tunnel's western portal, Tunnel Creek joins the river. U.S. Route 2 makes a hairpin turn in the valley of Tunnel Creek. The Tye River then turns more directly west. It collects Surprise Creek and its tributary Scenic Creek near Scenic . Deception Creek joins near Deception Falls, 6.2 mi (10.0 km) above the mouth of the Tye. Scenic, Surprise, and Deception creeks all join from

493-442: The circumstances and season, but includes Boulder Drop, a class IV+ rapids. Skykomish and its tributaries also popular place for recreational fishing. River is a home for chinook, coho and pink salmon, steelhead and bull trout. North Fork South Fork Tye River (Washington) The Tye River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington . It rises near Stevens Pass in the Cascade Mountains and flows west, joining

522-559: The confluence of the Tye River and the Foss River , to the east of Skykomish . From the confluence the South Fork flows northwest. Near the eastern boundary of the city of Skykomish, the Beckler River joins it. To the west of the city of Skykomish, the Miller River joins it. Shortly before converging with the North Fork the river drops over Eagle Falls , followed by Canyon Falls and then, finally, Sunset Falls before its confluence with

551-476: The entire Tye River basin, are present only as a result of a trap and haul operation initiated in 1958 by the Washington Department of Fisheries. Between July and December fish are trapped below the falls, trucked above, and returned to the South Fork Skykomish. About 125 mi (201 km) of roads have been built in the Tye River basin, resulting in a road density approaching and in places surpassing

580-445: The late summer. In 2022, researchers determined that Hinman Glacier , which as recently as 1971 was the largest glacier in the river's watershed, had completely retreated as a result of climate change . As a whole, the area of the Skykomish watershed that was covered by glacial ice decreased from 3.8 km (1.5 sq mi) in 1958 to 1.7 km (0.66 sq mi) in 2022 - a 55% loss. Consequently, days with streamflow below

609-451: The mainstem river. Some coho spawn in the lower parts of a few tributary streams such as Alpine Creek. Juvenile salmon rear throughout the accessible waters of the river basin. No anadromous fish are found above Alpine Falls as it is a total barrier to fish migration. Sunset Falls on the South Fork Skykomish River, below the mouth of the Tye River, is also a total barrier to fish migration. All anadrmous fish above Sunset Falls, which includes

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638-454: The river, contributing to excellent salmon habitat. The final mile of the Tye has a steeper gradient with cascades alternating with deep pools. Nearly all the Tye River's tributaries are high mountains streams with steep gradients. Some entering the Tye's valley from hanging valleys , plunging down high waterfalls. The Tye River is used by chinook and coho salmon. Adults migrate upstream as far as Alpine Falls. Spawning occurs mostly in

667-650: The site of one of the greatest railroad tragedies in American history, the Wellington Disaster . One of the Native American trails crossing the Cascades followed the Skykomish and North Fork Skykomish to Cady Pass . The Skykomish River is used for rafting and kayaking, especially around the Index, WA area during the summer months. The Skykomish River is mostly ranked between Class III and Class III+ rapids, depending on

696-469: The south, joins the Tye River, forming the South Fork Skykomish River. The Great Northern Railway built the train tracks today owned by BNSF. The railroad tracks originally followed the Tye River to Stevens Pass, which it crossed via a number of switchbacks. The first Cascade Tunnel was built at Wellington , just west of the pass. After the Wellington avalanche disaster of 1910 the Great Northern changed

725-427: The south. Below Deception Creek the Tye River is joined by Martin Creek from the north. Then, 4.5 mi (7.2 km) upstream from its mouth, the Tye falls over Alpine Falls. Below the waterfall the Tye River is joined by Carroll Creek and Alpine Creek from the south. The BPA powerline crosses the Tye River 3.2 mi (5.1 km) above the river's mouth. A couple miles east of Skykomish the Foss River, flowing from

754-577: The threshold necessary to maintain short-term survival of fish in the river has increased. Annual precipitation values had not been observed as declining. In the 1890s the Great Northern Railway was built along the Skykomish, South Fork Skykomish, and Tye Rivers, crossing the crest of the Cascades at Stevens Pass . Today the track is owned by BNSF Railway , known as the Burlington Northern Railroad from 1970 to 1995. Stevens Pass

783-420: The threshold where damage to the watershed may occur through road effects on slope hydrology and mass wasting . The Martin Creek and Beckler Peak roads present the greatest hazard to streams. Winter sanding of U.S. Highway 2 is a chronic contributor of fine sediment to the Tye River. Each year 2,500- 7,000 cubic yards of sand are applied to the highway. It is not known how much enters the Tye River. If just 1% does

812-433: The town's name from Wellington, which had become associated with the disaster, to Tye, after the river. The town was abandoned after the second Cascade Tunnel was built in 1929. The upper Tye River flows through a steep, narrow, and densely forested valley. Below Surprise Creek the Tye's valley alternately widens and narrows. There are dense mixed deciduous and conifer forests in the valley bottoms and thick conifer forests on

841-598: The valley sides. Much of the lower elevation forests have been logged at least once. Old growth forests are founded mainly along the higher tributaries. Above Deception Creek the Tye River has a steep gradient and a confined channel, resulting in a nearly continuous series of steep cascades and smalls waterfalls. Downstream, near its mouth, the Tye's gradient lessens and its channel widens. The valley becomes more broad and flat. The river becomes somewhat braided in this stretch, with numerous channel splits. There are many logs and other types of large woody debris in this part of

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