Icicle Creek-Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery

Icicle Creek- Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery

Trail Use: Hiking

Difficulty: Easy

Round trip distance: 1.00 miles

Round trip time: 1 hour

Permit Details: No permits required.

Region: Leavenworth Area

Directions to Trailhead

Follow US Highway 2 West through Leavenworth and go left at the end of town on Icicle Road (follow signs to the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, there is a large gas station at the corner). If you are traveling Eastbound on Highway 2 over Stevens Pass go right on Icicle Road when you first enter Leavenworth. Follow Icicle Road for 2 miles and go left into the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery.

This is a fun trail for walking and learning about the wonderful Icicle River Valley. Be sure to pick up the interpretive brochure before heading out on the trail, we did not take one with us.  There are also interpretive plaques placed along the trail explaining what plant and wildlife are in the area.  The Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery office serves as the trail head and parking area. 

The hatchery releases over one million salmon per year. It's one of the best areas to learn about Northwest Salmon, river ecology, and the role of fish hatcheries in our state. The native name for Icicle Creek was Nasikelt. As pronounced this name sounds very similar to Icicle. Legend has it that early pioneers mistook the proper native name and interpreted it as Icicle. The name Icicle was established by USGS maps in the early 1900s. 

Walk for Wildlife

The Icicle Creek Nature Trail is a one-mile loop trail that is fully accessible and offers an excellent opportunity to see fish and wildlife in their natural environment. This is a National Recreation Trail and part of the Cascade Loop of the Audubon Society's Great Washington State Birding Trail. It is an enjoyable non-strenuous walk for families and nature enthusiasts. It is mostly paved trail with some areas of easily walkable loose dirt areas.  part of the nationally recognized "Watchable Wildlife" site program, it is also equipped with two wildlife viewing platforms, resting benches, interpretive signing, and birding opportunities. 

Tour the Hatchery

Monika and I arrived late and were short on time so we did not take this tour but visitors are always welcome to tour the beautiful hatchery in the north Cascade Mountains.

The building is open every day of the year while staff are caring for the fish. A volunteer or employee is usually on hand to answer questions at the front of the main building from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays in winter, and every day in summer. Self-guided tour flyers are available. You are invited to talk to our hatchery staff, learn about fish species raised, and see thousands of young salmon in raceways and ponds. The hatchery grounds are always open to foot traffic. Feel free to walk the grounds and access the nature trail. Please park outside the main entry gate after 2 p.m.  The hatcher office also has a small visitors/interpretive center as well.  There are also restrooms inside.

Guided tours are offered  for larger groups who call at least two weeks in advance. Please call 509-548-7641. Include a date, time, number of people expected, and general age of participants (for example: 5th grade, family reunion, college biology students, retirement facility, etc.). Tours are scheduled on a first come, first served basis.

                                                 Dogwood blossom

                                             Monika at one of the wildlife viewing stations

                                         Not sure what variety this one is but it was pretty
                                         so we took a shot of it anyway.

         This is the dreaded Poison Oak.  Figured I would document what it looks like because I have never seen it before.  The informative plaque had a quote that I liked, "when in clumps of three, let it be".  I add to it "that's fine by me".  It looks similar to many other tree and shrub leaves, I could see how you could get tangled up in it.

SUMMARY:

This is not a hike with epic views or a really difficult trail to conquer.  It is a good break in the Leavenworth curio shop bop.  If you have kids or pets that need to stretch those impatient legs and are driving you nuts grabbing everything in sight with the signs saying "you break it you buy it", this is a great detour.

It is a few short miles from the town center.  It's walkable by all, pet friendly, as well as informational. All the information about this hike was obtained from the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery website and other online resources.

Until the next one,

Scott and Monika

 

 

 

 

Leavenworth WA-Penstock Trail

The Penstock Trail

A short chronicle of Monika and Scott’s hike along the Penstock Trail while visiting Leavenworth, WA.

Now on the National Historical Register, was a huge water pipe used to deliver water to a powerhouse located where the parking lot is now. The electricity powered electrical engines which pulled trains through the old Cascade Tunnel at Stevens Pass. Prior to this the coal-fired engines caused problems with asphyxiation. The tunnel was electrified, with the project completed on July 10, 1909, eliminating the problem. The unusual system used was three-phase AC, 6600 volts at 25 Hz, from a 5 MW hydroelectric plant on the Wenatchee River just west of Leavenworth. The tunnel section only was electrified; 4.0 route-miles or 6.0 track-miles and 1.7 percent grade through the tunnel.  The tunnel was not used after 1929 due to construction of a lower and longer tunnel over the same route.

Trail head:

From Leavenworth, start your odometer after you pass the gas station on the corner of Icicle Road and Highway 2 West. Drive 1.7 miles West on Highway 2. Turn left at a non-descript parking area next to the river (if you pass by an old bridge over the river on your left you've gone too far).

Follow a path along the Wenatchee River on the opposite side of Highway 2. See the glorious Wenatchee as it tumbles down Tumwater Canyon. There are a number of terrific hidden river beaches along the way for swimming or relaxing to the sounds of the river. From the parking area, the trail begins just beyond the outhouse and continues over an old half pipe shaped bridge. After you walk over the bridge, follow the main trail to the right.

Picture of Monika at the water pipe bridge over the Wenatchee River in Tumwater Canyon at the beginning of the trail.

On the bridge and along the trail.

 

At the end of the trail you will pass a small water seep coming from the hill above where green ferns are growing from the hillside.  Keep walking over the rocks and you will find the entrance to the dynamited tunnel for the water pipe.


Standing Just inside the water pipe tunnel entrance.  Wasn’t going any further without a light source.  Maybe next time.  Taking a picture of Monika just outside tunnel entrance.

Monika and a little boy (fellow hiker whose parents were inside the tunnel) just outside the tunnel entrance.  We were taking pictures of each other at the same time.

Remnants of the water pipe.  We were told by another hiker that the pipe was actually made of wood.  The remnants in the picture are the metal bands that held the wood pipe, much like a whiskey barrel.

In the last picture you can see a guy on his way out of the tunnel.  We were told that you can traverse through the tunnel to the other side, but you will definitely need to bring a light source with you.  Supposedly there is a nice beach along the river on the other end. 

A very nice hike suitable for most everyone, kids and dogs were on the route too.  Neat piece of history.  A great day spent with my wife.

Until the next one,
Scott