Wellington Ghost Town

Wellington Ghost Town preserves the site of the 1910 avalanche that killed 96 people on the Great Northern Railway, one of the deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history. The nearly flat 2-mile trail follows the old railroad grade through crumbling concrete snowsheds, past the original Cascade Tunnel entrance, and through the abandoned townsite that was renamed Tye after the disaster and finally abandoned in 1929.

Walking through the snowsheds is the highlight. Two-thirds of a mile of deteriorating concrete tubes frame views of the forest growing up through the old rail bed. Interpretive signs explain the construction, the disaster, and the lives of the 800 workers (many Japanese immigrants) who built the railroad. The historical content is well done and gives purpose to what would otherwise be a very easy forest walk.

The trail connects to the larger Iron Goat Trail system, so you can extend the walk to Martin Creek or Windy Point. Vegetation grows aggressively in summer and has historically made sections near-impassable, though recent trail crew work has improved conditions. This is a good rainy-day option since the snowsheds provide cover and the flat terrain handles wet conditions well.