The Mountain Loop Highway
A Forest Road Drive With Unsurpassed Beauty & Rich History
It’s always a cause for celebration every springtime when the gates open on the Mountain Loop Highway! This scenic byway brings people to the beauty of the rugged Cascade Mountains and their wild and untamed rivers. People of all abilities can enjoy this remarkable drive taking you to see some of the most beautiful places Washington State has to offer. Most of what people refer to as the “Loop” is just the portion traveling through the backcountry. The whole route takes you from Granite Falls to Darrington, Arlington, Hartford / Silver Lake, then back to Granite Falls. This remarkable road travels along three rivers, the South Fork Stillaguamish, the mountainous Sauk and the North Fork Stillaguamish. The portion most people refer to as the Loop is the eastern end and 54 mile drive from Granite Falls to Darrington close to the Glacier Peak, Henry M. Jackson and Boulder River Wilderness areas with vistas of the mountains, rivers, waterfalls and more!
Many destinations can be found along the Mountain Loop Highway with miles of hiking trails and access to the Pacific Crest Trail, picnicking, rockhounding, the whitewater and more. There is so much to discover to do off of the Mountain Loop Highway it would take years to do them all. The drive in itself is a cherished destination.
Driving The Mountain Loop Highway
The road is paved for 34 miles coming from Granite Falls traveling along the beautiful South Fork Stillaguamish River. Once reaching Barlow Pass at 34 miles the road becomes gravel for the next 13 miles. Efforts are under way to see if this gravel portions can be paved in the future. Once reaching Barlow Pass you will see the trailhead for the historical Monte Cristo mining boom town. The road bends to the north and heading towards Darrington. As you drive on the Loop you will see several forest side roads which many are their own unique scenic drive to trailheads and other special destinations. After driving 13 miles the road again is paved and you will reach Darrington in 9 miles.
The creating this road is a very interesting story and like most pioneer roads it started out as a trail. It all started in 1889 when the first gold mining claim was staked at a place that would later be known as Monte Cristo. By 1891 a crude road was built from Skagit River to Monte Cristo and stayed a primitive winding road for many years. It wasn’t until 1936 that construction of what we now call the Mountain Loop Highway began by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the road was completed in 1941.