The Cascade Mountains and the Iron Goat Trail in Stevens Pass near Seattle--A Great Hike

Just outside Seattle rises the iconic Mount Rainier, dominating the city’s panorama. To its south stands Mount St. Helens. These two peaks are part of the Cascade Range and the Ring of Fire, which stretches from British Columbia to California. The range earned its name from European explorers, inspired by its many waterfalls. Together, volcanic activity and abundant forests make the Cascades a dramatic landscape of fire and ice—an ideal setting for challenging hiking trails.

One such trail is the Iron Goat Trail, located in Stevens Pass near Gold Bar. Its name comes from the Great Northern Railway’s corporate symbol: a mountain goat standing on a rock. Built along the former railway grade, the Iron Goat Trail officially opened to hikers on October 2, 1993. There are three trailheads: the Scenic, the Martin Creek, and the Wellington. We chose the Martin Creek. The Martin Creek Trailhead consists of an Upper Grade Trail and a Lower Grade Trail totaling 6 miles, both with a gentle 2.2 percent incline. The trail marks the site of one of America’s most tragic train disasters—the 1910 Wellington Disaster.

In the early 1900s, the Great Northern Railway constructed a system of tunnels and massive concrete snow sheds through the mountains of Stevens Pass, connecting the route to Seattle. In the winter of 1910, Washington State’s Cascade Mountain Range was struck by an unusually long blizzard. Previous clear-cutting and forest fires had stripped the slopes above the tracks, creating ideal conditions for an avalanche.

On March 1, 1910, following the nine-day blizzard, rain and an electrical storm besieged the Seattle Express No. 25 and the Fast Mail No. 27 trains, which had been forced to stop en route to Seattle. The winds, thunder, and lightning threatened the stability of the varied layers of snow on the mountainside. Either thunder or lightning triggered a break in the integrity of the heavy top slab of snow; as the weaker layers below gave way, the enormous slab began to slide down the slope, carrying everything in its path. The avalanche hurled both trains 150 feet down into the Tye River Valley, where the cars were buried in snow and debris. Ninety-six people died—thirty-five passengers and sixty-one railroad employees.

The Iron Goat Trail commemorates the construction of the railway and memorializes the disaster that occurred on its mountainside. Retaining walls, culverts, bridges, and waterbars were built, along with spur trails connecting the upper and lower paths, making this history accessible to intrepid hikers and their cameras. You can walk alongside the aging, massive two-mile-long concrete walls where thick-timbered snow sheds once covered the tracks, shielding trains from falling rocks and debris. Connecting these sections of wall, long tunnels were blasted through the mountain to allow trains to pass. You can stand at the tunnel openings, feel the exiting cool air, peer into the darkness, and wonder what remains inside. For your safety, however, entering the tunnels is strongly discouraged—bears and pumas inhabit the mountains.

The scenery along the Iron Goat Trail is stunning, the history intriguing, and the hike challenging—especially the spur near the Windy Mountain Tunnel, where the trail narrows and steep drop-offs demand caution. As you walk, stay alert: remnants of the avalanche, old buildings, and fragments of train cars lie hidden among the rocks and underbrush that has grown since 1910. A parking area with facilities and a museum marks the beginning of your journey. Enjoy the rugged beauty of Stevens Pass and the majestic Cascades near Seattle.

Iron Goat Trail - Martin Creek Trailhead

Directions:

Take Highway 2 toward Stevens Pass, to milepost 55. Turn left onto the Old Cascade Highway. At the junction with FR 6710, take a sharp left onto FR 6710. In 1.4 miles reach the trailhead.

Point Sur Lightstation--A Mystical Sentinel Located High on a Big Sur Rock

Lighthouses are mystical sentinels, charged with a singular purpose: to guide passing ships through treacherous waters into safe harbors. They stand in solitude, often perched on remote cliffs amid hostile environments. They emanate a haunting splendor and evoke fascination through the many stories told by the men and women who lived the keeper’s life.

The beautiful California coastline is dominated by towering cliffs and rocky shores. Navigating the Pacific Ocean’s treacherous surf along its jagged shoreline was a formidable challenge for mariners. Point Sur Lightstation in Big Sur is one of those mystical sentinels, commissioned to guide the state's merchant traffic safely to their destination.

Point Sur Lightstation is literally located on a solitary 361-foot volcanic rock connected to the Big Sur coast by a short strip of sandy land and rocks. Money was allocated for Point Sur in 1886 to build the light station. Three years later, on August 1, 1889, the light station keys were turned over to the first keeper. He and three assistants staffed the lighthouse and fog signal 24 hours a day.

The four keepers and their families lived an isolated life. The trail to Monterey was long and often treacherous, so trips were rare. The U.S. Lighthouse Service provided a horse and wagon to get mail and supplies from Pfeiffer's Resort. Each family was allotted a garden area for fresh vegetables. Bulk supplies such as coal, firewood, animal feed, and some food came on a lighthouse tender' about every four months. One function of these long, broad ships was to service remote light stations inaccessible by land.

Like most remote lightstations, Point Sur was very self-sufficient. As the years passed, life became increasingly less isolated at Point Sur, specially following the completion of Highway 1 in 1937. Two years later, the U.S. Coast Guard assumed responsibility for all aids-to-navigation. Lighthouse Service employees were absorbed into the new program and allowed to become either members of the U.S. Coast Guard or remain civil service employees.

In the 1960s, the U.S. Coast Guard began automating lightstations in an effort to make more efficient use of their personnel. In 1974, the last keeper left Point Sur. Today a U.S. Coast Guard crew services the lighthouse regularly.

The Point Sur Lightstation originally contained a first-order Fresnel lens. Light from Point Sur's Fresnel lens was visible for 23 nautical miles. The lens was in use until the 1970s when it was replaced by a modern aero beacon mounted on the roof of the fog signal room. The lens remained in the lighthouse tower until 1978, when it was disassembled and transported to the Allen Knight Maritime Museum of Monterey for display. The aero beacon was later moved into the lighthouse tower. The aero beacon was eventually replaced by an LED light presently mounted on the outside rail of the lighthouse and flashes every 15 seconds.

The tour operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission is $20 for adults. Visitors enter through a gate on Highway 1, opened by one of the tour guides. The view of the massive, distant rock crowned by the light station is spectacular. After passing through the gate, you drive down a long road flanked by a beach on one side and rocky terrain on the other, arriving at the base of the rock where you park your car. The guide begins the tour here and, following opening remarks, leads the group up the winding road that ascends the rock, stopping at select locations to discuss its construction and share stories of its formidable history.

On the ocean side of the rock, the road splits—one branch leading to the lightstation complex atop the summit, the other crossing a bridge to the lighthouse perched on the edge. The lighthouse was our first stop. As we stood beneath the towering beacon near its entrance, overlooking the ocean crashing far below against rocks teeming with barking seals, the guide described the light keeper’s duties and the operation of the Fresnel lens. We entered and ascended the circular staircase to the lantern room, where we gathered for more historical insight, then stepped onto the lantern deck outside for a sweeping 360-degree view from the top. After descending and exiting, we entered an adjoining building that housed a museum.

We then followed the guide up a long stairway to the summit, where we found a large barn, a building filled with carpenter tools and a blacksmith shop, a water tower, a garden area, and two houses—one for the keeper and his family, and the other, larger house for his three assistants and their families. We toured the keeper’s residence but did not enter the assistants’ quarters. The guide informed us that the assistants’ house was haunted, and that every Halloween it is decorated and opened to the public for a good scare. The lightstation is also one of the best places to view the whale migrations, which include the giant blue whale at 110 feet. After paying the $20 in the gift shop, we descended the long road back to our cars.

The tour’s history is intriguing, and the panoramic views from both the lighthouse and the summit complex are spectacular. The ascent up the 361-foot rock is challenging—best suited for the sure-footed and hearty—but well worth the effort. The guides are personable and informative. The tour lasts three hours and is packed with rich detail. The light station embodies everything one might expect from a California lighthouse. The gray, cement-blocked lighthouse structure exudes a mystical presence, and the surrounding complex carries a haunting allure.

Points of interest:

Notable shipwreck - Ventura 1875. Notable wreck - the dirigible U.S.S. Macon crashed and sank.

Admission:

Adults - $20, Ages 6-17 - $10, Ages 5 and under free.

Moonlight Tours - $30

Halloween Tour - October 18 and October 25, 2025 at 5:30pm

Tour Schedule:

Saturday and Sunday - 10am

Wednesday - 1pm

Information:

(831) 625-4419