Trail of the Cedars

Length: About a half-mile loop.

Level of difficulty: Flat-to-moderate dirt and gravel path.

Setting: This lovely forest on the south side of the Skagit River harbors old-growth Western red cedars and Douglas firs that survived a 1922 forest fire. Interpretive signs describe a nice variety of topics, including forest ecology, the effects of fire and the river's salmon. The Upper Skagit tribe used this area as a place to hunt for mountain goats and fish for salmon. The name "Newhalem" is a corruption of the Lushootseed word for "place where the goats are snared." The Gorge, Diablo and Ross dams built upstream did not affect the Skagit's salmon runs, since the fish were never able to spawn much farther up the river than Newhalem due to the natural barrier of a rocky gorge with impassable cascades.

Highlights: The trail passes near the Newhalem Creek Powerhouse. The original structure, built in 1921, once supplied electricity for a nearby sawmill. Just past the powerhouse, large cottonwoods growing alongside an old stream channel give a telltale sign of water near the surface. Keep an eye out for a colonnade of tall cedars that sprang up together as nurse-log siblings.

Facilities: Water and accessible restrooms at Seattle City Light building across from general store.

Restrictions: Pets on leash; no bikes.

Directions: From Interstate 5 north of Seattle, take Highway 20 east at Burlington (Exit 230), and drive to the company town of Newhalem. (Highway 20 is open this far; recent washouts are farther east.) Turn right at the street just before the general store and park on the street or in the lot across Highway 20. Go to the end of the street and cross a suspension bridge to reach the trail.

For more information: Call 206-386-4495 or 360-856-5700, or see www.nps.gov/noca. Want to know the weather before you go? On the Web site, go to the "Current Information" quick link, which leads to a Webcam at the North Cascades National Park visitor center in Newhalem. The center is open year-round on weekends, and has information on other short winter hikes in the Newhalem area.

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