Naches Pass facts for kids

Naches Pass is a mountain pass in the Cascade Range in Washington. It sits high up at about 4,928 feet (1,502 meters) above sea level. This pass is located about 50 miles (80 km) east of Tacoma. It is also about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Yakima.

The pass is found near the start of streams that flow into the Naches River on the east. On the west, streams flow into the Greenwater River. Naches Pass is a special spot where four counties meet: Pierce, King, Kittitas, and Yakima.

It also marks the border between two large forests. These are the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and the Wenatchee National Forest. The pass is about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Mount Rainier National Park. Today, no major roads or train tracks cross Naches Pass.

Long ago, Native American people used trails over the pass. White settlers arrived later. Throughout the 1800s, many tried to build a wagon road or railroad here. Most of these attempts did not work out. By 1855, Snoqualmie Pass became a much better route over the mountains. In 1943, a plan for a highway, State Route 168, became state law. But this highway was never built. Today, the trails over Naches Pass are only used for hiking and other fun outdoor activities.

Exploring Naches Pass: A Look at Its History

Early Trails and Explorers

The Naches Pass area has a long history. Native American people used an old route called the Naches Trail. This trail went over Naches Pass and through the Cascade Mountains. It connected different groups of people. The Salish people on the west side, like the Nisqually and Puyallup, traded with the Yakima people on the east side. They often traded fish and horses.

In 1839, George Simpson was a governor for the Hudson's Bay Company. He asked Pierre-Chrysologue Pambrun to find a trail over the Cascades. Pambrun was in charge of Fort Nez Percés (Walla Walla). He wanted to find a way to Fort Nisqually on Puget Sound. Simpson planned to settle families there. Pambrun, with Cornelius Rogers, crossed Naches Pass.

In the summer of 1841, Lieutenant Charles Wilkes led an expedition. He sent Lieutenant Robert E. Johnson to go east over the Cascades. They used the Naches Pass route. The expedition followed the existing Native American trail. It went around the north side of Mount Rainier and over the pass. They then traveled to Fort Colvile and Fort Okanogan, east of the mountains.

Attempts to Build a Road

The early settlements around Puget Sound grew slowly. This was partly because it was hard to get there. In 1850, M.T. Simmons, an early settler, tried to build a road over Naches Pass. But the thick forests and steep hills made it too hard. The attempt failed.

Emigrants arriving in Portland, Oregon Territory, wanted to go north. They had to travel the muddy Cowlitz Trail. This involved river travel and then walking overland. It led to the southern end of Puget Sound. When Washington Territory was formed, one of its first goals was to build a wagon road. This road would cross the Cascades. It aimed to bring emigrants to Puget Sound instead of the Willamette Valley.

The government was slow to act. So, in 1853, citizens of Puget Sound raised money. They sent Edward Jay Allen, John Edgar, George Shazer, and Whitfield Kirtley. Their job was to survey the Naches Pass route. They wanted to see if it was good for a wagon road. They left on June 1, 1853. Sixteen days later, they reached the open prairies of eastern Washington. They decided that a wagon road could be built. Allen quickly returned to Olympia with the good news. He left behind a detailed story of his journey.

Meanwhile, Captain George B. McClellan received orders in April 1853. He was told to find a good route for a military wagon road. He also had to build the road by that fall. And he needed to check if the passes were good for a future railroad. He started from Columbia Barracks (now Vancouver, Washington). He slowly made his way into the Cascade Mountains.

It became clear that McClellan would not finish a road in time. So, the people of Puget Sound decided to build it themselves. They gathered money to pay two teams of road builders. One team, led by Edward Jay Allen, worked east. They started from the Puyallup valley and went to Naches Pass. They went a few miles beyond the pass. The second team, led by Whitfield Kirtley, was supposed to work west. They would finish the road between Yakima and the pass. But this team had problems and returned to Olympia. They did little more than mark the route with blazes.

On August 25, 1853, McClellan finally reached Naches Pass. He decided it was not good for a railroad. He then continued north. On September 12, Andrew Moore, from Olympia's road committee, found McClellan. He convinced the captain to hire Allen's men. From then on, they would be paid to build the road they had been working on for two months as volunteers. McClellan seemed happy that he had followed his orders. He continued his journey north. He was waiting to meet Governor Stevens, who was traveling west from Minnesota.

The James Longmire wagon train arrived at Fort Walla Walla in early September 1853. They planned to go to Puget Sound. They were convinced to take the new "People's Road" over Naches Pass. They followed a route up the Naches and Little Naches Rivers. They left the eastern Washington prairies behind. In mid-September, they saw northwest forests for the first time. Here, they followed Kirtley's blazes, which marked a trail, but there was no actual road. The wagon train had to cut a road as they went. Within five miles of the pass (on the east side), they found Allen's better road. They reached Naches Pass in early October.

The journey was tough. They ran low on food. They had to lower their wagons down a steep hill using ropes. They also crossed the White River many times. Finally, the wagon train made its way down the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains. The emigrants came out of the forest into open prairie. This was at the site of today's Enumclaw. They arrived at Fort Steilacoom in mid-October.

The Mitchell wagon train crossed the pass just three weeks later. Other groups followed in 1854. But the Naches Pass Wagon Road never became very popular. Besides the difficult descent from Naches Pass (which was made easier in 1854), it had other challenges. It required 68 crossings of the Naches and Little Naches Rivers east of the pass. It also had multiple crossings of the White River on the west side.

In 1854, Lieutenant Richard Arnold was at Ft. Steilacoom. He was officially in charge of finishing the road. He explored it in May with Allen. Then he hired Allen and his crew again. They returned in the summer of 1854 to improve their work. Among the groups using the road in the fall of 1854 were the wagon trains of Winfield Scott Ebey and Jacob Redding Meeker.

Naches Pass Today

In 1855, conflicts broke out with Native American groups. This kept settlers busy. The wagon road was mostly used by Native Americans and the army. Also, in early 1855, Lieutenant Abiel Tinkham said that Snoqualmie Pass was a better route. After the conflicts, the Naches Pass route was mainly used by stockmen. They drove their animals over the pass regularly until the early 1900s.

In the 1920s, Ezra Meeker worked hard to get the state to choose the Naches Pass route. He wanted it for a southern cross-state highway. But railroads had other plans. They wanted to build a hotel north of Mount Rainier National Park. This led to the creation of the Chinook Pass highway instead.

A proposed road through Naches Pass was added to the state highway system in 1943. It is still in state laws as State Route 168. However, this road has never been built. Today, the old wagon road is a very popular and well-known jeep trail.