The Skykomish River is a long
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
which drains the west side of the
Cascade Mountains
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...
in the southeast section of
Snohomish County
Snohomish County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. With a population of 827,957 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in Washington, after nearby King and Pierce counties, and the 75th-most populous ...
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
Index (or its plural form indices) may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Index (''A Certain Magical Index''), a character in the light novel series ''A Certain Magical Index''
* The Index, an item on a Halo megastru ...
, then flowing northwesterly towards
Puget Sound
Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected ma ...
. It is joined by the
Sultan River
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
and the
Wallace River
The Wallace River is a medium-sized river in Washington, United States. It is a tributary of the Skykomish River and joins near Sultan, just upstream from the mouth of the Sultan River. The Wallace River is long. ArcExplorer GIS data viewer. I ...
at
Sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
. It then meets the
Snoqualmie River
The Snoqualmie River is a long river in King County and Snohomish County in the U.S. state of Washington. The river's three main tributaries are the North, Middle, and South Forks, which drain the west side of the Cascade Mountains near the town ...
to form the
Snohomish River
The Snohomish River is a river in Snohomish County, Washington, formed by the confluence of the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers near Monroe. It flows northwest entering Port Gardner Bay, part of Puget Sound, between Everett and Marysville. The ...
at
Monroe. The Snohomish River continues along the river valley eventually dumping into
Port Gardner Bay
Port Gardner, also known as Port Gardner Bay, is an inlet of Possession Sound on which the city of Everett, Washington is located. The Snohomish River flows into the north end of the bay.
It was named by George Vancouver for his patron and former ...
on
Possession Sound
Possession Sound is part of Puget Sound, located in the U.S. state of Washington between Whidbey Island and the shoreline of Snohomish County approximately between the cities of Everett and Mukilteo. Possession Sound connects the main Puget Sou ...
(part of Puget Sound).
The Skykomish River's
main stem
In hydrology, a mainstem (or trunk) is "the primary downstream segment of a river, as contrasted to its tributaries". Water enters the mainstem from the river's drainage basin, the land area through which the mainstem and its tributaries flow.. A ...
is long. The length including its headwater tributaries, South Fork Skykomish and Tye River, is .
[ ArcExplorer ]GIS
A geographic information system (GIS) is a type of database containing Geographic data and information, geographic data (that is, descriptions of phenomena for which location is relevant), combined with Geographic information system software, sof ...
data viewer. The Skykomish's
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...
is in area.
[ ArcExplorer ]GIS
A geographic information system (GIS) is a type of database containing Geographic data and information, geographic data (that is, descriptions of phenomena for which location is relevant), combined with Geographic information system software, sof ...
data viewer.
U.S. Highway 2 and the
BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...
are routed to follow the Skykomish River, South Fork Skykomish, and
Tye River
The Tye River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the James River in central Virginia in the United States. Originating on the eastern slope ...
to
Stevens Pass
Stevens Pass (elevation ) is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range, Cascade Mountains located at the border of King County, Washington, King County and Chelan County, Washington, Chelan County in Washington (state), Washington, United States. ...
and the
Cascade Tunnel
The Cascade Tunnel refers to two railroad tunnels (original and its replacement) in the northwest United States, east of the Seattle metropolitan area in the Cascade Range of Washington, at Stevens Pass. It is approximately east of Everett, wit ...
.
The Skykomish is sometimes referred to by the nickname "Sky River" or "The Sky".
According to the
U.S. Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and ...
, 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 is sourced from a drainage area of , compared to the North Fork which has an average flow of from a drainage area of . In turn the source of the South Fork – in terms of streamflow – is the
Rapid River, a tributary of the
Beckler River
The Beckler River is a tributary of the South Fork Skykomish River in the U.S. state of Washington in the United States.
The Beckler River originates near Jack Pass and flows southeast about where it is joined by the Rapid River, its princip ...
, which in turn is a tributary of the South Fork Skykomish.
The name "Skykomish" comes from the
Northern Lushootseed word ''/sq'íxʷəbš/'', meaning "upriver people", from ''/q'íxʷ/'', "upstream". It is the name of a Southern
Coast Salish
The Coast Salish is a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. They speak one of the Coas ...
group.
North Fork
The headwaters of the North Fork Skykomish River are located in the
Henry M. Jackson Wilderness near Dishpan Gap along the
Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...
. It flows as a small stream off the north slope of
Skykomish Peak. The
Wild Sky Wilderness
The Wild Sky Wilderness is a wilderness area in the western Cascade Range of Washington state. The wilderness is within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest north of the U.S. Highway 2 towns of Index and Skykomish. The wilderness flan ...
protects tributaries and forests adjacent to 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.
Tributaries of the North Fork
* Pass Creek: Leads to
Cady Pass Cady may refer to:
Places United States
* Cady, Wisconsin, a town
* Cady Mountains, California
* Cady Pond, Massachusetts
* Cady Lake, South Dakota
* Camp Cady, California, a United States Army camp in 1860–1861 and 1866–1871
Elsewhere
* C ...
.
* Quartz Creek: Flows from
Monte Cristo Peak
Monte Cristo Peak is a mountain peak in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness in Washington state. Together with Columbia Peak and Kyes Peak it forms a basin that contains Columbia Glacier and Blanca Lake. The 1918 edition of ''The Mountaineer'' c ...
, leads to Curry Gap.
* Goblin Creek: Flows from Monte Cristo Peak.
* West Cady Creek
* Troublesome Creek: Flows from Monte Cristo Peak, through Blanca Lake, to join the North Fork just below
Bear Creek Falls.
* Silver Creek: Rises near Silvertip Mountain and Poodle Dog Pass, flows by Mineral City, joins North Fork just above Galena (early route to Monte Cristo mining district; both Mineral City and Galena former mining towns).
* Salmon Creek: Joins North Fork just below Galena.
* Trout Creek: Upstream of the town of Index, just downstream of the Index-Galena Road washout. Trout Creek road is currently blocked (as of 2015).
South Fork
The South Fork Skykomish River begins at the confluence of the
Tye River
The Tye River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the James River in central Virginia in the United States. Originating on the eastern slope ...
and the
Beckler River
The Beckler River is a tributary of the South Fork Skykomish River in the U.S. state of Washington in the United States.
The Beckler River originates near Jack Pass and flows southeast about where it is joined by the Rapid River, its princip ...
, to the east of
Skykomish
Skykomish is a town in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 198 as of the 2010 census, down from an estimated peak of "several thousand" in the 1920s.
Located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 49 miles east ...
. From the confluence the South Fork flows northwest. Near the eastern boundary of the city of Skykomish, the
Beckler River
The Beckler River is a tributary of the South Fork Skykomish River in the U.S. state of Washington in the United States.
The Beckler River originates near Jack Pass and flows southeast about where it is joined by the Rapid River, its princip ...
joins it. To the west of the city of Skykomish, the
Miller River
The Miller River is a river in King County, Washington. Named for 1890s prospector John Miller, it is a tributary of the Skykomish River, which it joins near the community of Miller River (which was, prior to World War I, known as Berlin). The ...
joins it. Shortly before converging with the North Fork the river drops over
Eagle Falls, followed by
Canyon Falls and then, finally,
Sunset Falls
Sunset Falls is the final of the three waterfalls on the South Fork Skykomish River. The falls drop in a long, narrow, powerful chute. The river is thought to attain speeds of an hour and the chute is nearly long. In high water, because o ...
before its confluence with the North Fork.
Tributaries of the South Fork
*
Beckler River
The Beckler River is a tributary of the South Fork Skykomish River in the U.S. state of Washington in the United States.
The Beckler River originates near Jack Pass and flows southeast about where it is joined by the Rapid River, its princip ...
: Joins just below the river's source.
**
Rapid River
*
Miller River
The Miller River is a river in King County, Washington. Named for 1890s prospector John Miller, it is a tributary of the Skykomish River, which it joins near the community of Miller River (which was, prior to World War I, known as Berlin). The ...
: Joins at
Miller River
The Miller River is a river in King County, Washington. Named for 1890s prospector John Miller, it is a tributary of the Skykomish River, which it joins near the community of Miller River (which was, prior to World War I, known as Berlin). The ...
.
* Money Creek: Joins the South Fork near Grotto.
* Index Creek: Joins South Fork near
Baring.
* Barclay Creek
History
![The Loggers' Bridge Suspended Over the Skykomish 1910](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/The_Loggers%27_Bridge_Suspended_Over_the_Skykomish_1910.jpg)
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
Stevens Pass (elevation ) is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range, Cascade Mountains located at the border of King County, Washington, King County and Chelan County, Washington, Chelan County in Washington (state), Washington, United States. ...
. Today the track is owned by
BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...
, known as the
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a Mergers and acquisitions, merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996.
Its historical lineage begins in the e ...
from 1970 to 1995. Stevens Pass is named after the Great Northern surveyor
John Frank Stevens
John Frank Stevens (April 25, 1853 – June 2, 1943) was an American civil engineer who built the Great Northern Railway in the United States and was chief engineer on the Panama Canal between 1905 and 1907.
Biography
Stevens was born in ...
. Two railroad tunnels, both called
Cascade Tunnel
The Cascade Tunnel refers to two railroad tunnels (original and its replacement) in the northwest United States, east of the Seattle metropolitan area in the Cascade Range of Washington, at Stevens Pass. It is approximately east of Everett, wit ...
, 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 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 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
Scenic may refer to:
* Scenic design
* Scenic painting
* Scenic overlook
* Scenic railroad (disambiguation)
* Scenic route
* Scenic, South Dakota, United States
* Scenic (horse), a Thoroughbred racehorse
Aviation
*Airwave Scenic, an Austrian par ...
on the upper Tye River, describes the history of the area including the old railroad and new trail. The interpretive center was built near 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 Cady may refer to:
Places United States
* Cady, Wisconsin, a town
* Cady Mountains, California
* Cady Pond, Massachusetts
* Cady Lake, South Dakota
* Camp Cady, California, a United States Army camp in 1860–1861 and 1866–1871
Elsewhere
* C ...
.
Recreation
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 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.
Waterfalls
North Fork
*
Deer Falls
*
Bear Creek Falls
South Fork
*
Eagle Falls
*
Canyon Falls
*
Sunset Falls
Sunset Falls is the final of the three waterfalls on the South Fork Skykomish River. The falls drop in a long, narrow, powerful chute. The river is thought to attain speeds of an hour and the chute is nearly long. In high water, because o ...
See also
*
List of Washington rivers
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Washington.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin. Respective tributaries are indented under each larger stream's name and are ordered downstream to upstream.
Fraser River (Britis ...
References
{{authority control
Rivers of Washington (state)
Rivers of King County, Washington
Rivers of Snohomish County, Washington