Chinook Pass (elevation 5430 ft./1656 m.) is a

pass Pass, PASS, The Pass or Passed may refer to: Places *Pass, County Meath, a townland in Ireland * Pass, Poland, a village in Poland * Pass, an alternate term for a number of straits: see List of straits *Mountain pass, a lower place in a mounta ...

through the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...

in the state of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. The pass is located on the crest of the Cascade Range, along a ridge between Yakima Peak to the northwest of the pass, and Naches Peak to the southeast. The boundary between Pierce County, west of the pass, and

Yakima County Yakima County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 256,728. The county seat and largest city is Yakima. The county was formed out of Ferguson County in January 1865 and is named for the Yakam ...

to the east, coincides with the ridge. Terrain immediately west of the pass is in the

Cowlitz River The Cowlitz River is a river in the state of Washington in the United States, a tributary of the Columbia River. Its tributaries drain a large region including the slopes of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens. The Cowlitz has a d ...

watershed. Terrain on the east side drains to the Yakima River watershed. The pass provides the east entrance to

Mount Rainier National Park Mount Rainier National Park is an American national park located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. The park was established on March 2, 1899, as the fourth national park in the United States, preservin ...

, and carries State Route 410 between the towns of

Enumclaw Enumclaw ( ) is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 12,543 at the 2020 census. The Enumclaw Plateau, on which the city resides, was formed by a volcanic mudflow ( lahar) from Mount Rainier approximately 5,700 ...

and Naches. Because of the high elevation, Chinook Pass is usually closed in November due to very heavy snow and significant

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and ea ...

danger. It usually opens in mid-May and is not uncommon to have a snow depth at the summit of up to 15 feet. As part of the

All-American Road A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Co ...

program, Route 410 through Chinook Pass has been designated by the U.S. government as the

Chinook Scenic Byway State Route 410 (SR 410, partially named the Chinook Scenic Byway, and also named the Stephen Mather Memorial Parkway) is a long state highway that traverses Pierce, King, and Yakima counties in the US state of Washington. It begin ...

. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful routes in the United States. Because the summit is above the treeline, there are many places to park along the road to view the scenery. As commercial vehicles are not allowed through the National Park section of State Route 410, this route is also favored by summer tourists.

History

Chinook Pass was chosen as a route across the Cascade Mountains as a compromise. The height of the route would mean that it would likely never be a year-round road. The alternative was

Naches Pass Naches Pass (elevation ) is a mountain pass in the Cascade Range in the state of Washington. It is located about east of Tacoma and about northwest of Yakima, near the headwaters of tributary streams of the Naches River on the east and the ...

, which with the addition of a short tunnel would be much lower (and easier to keep open in winter). The Naches Pass plan is still on the books as SR 168, but it has never been built. The cost of the tunnel was the deciding factor, and the Chinook Pass route was chosen. The

Yakima Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's 11th-largest city by population. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The uni ...

side of a road over Chinook Pass was partially completed in 1914, but then work was abandoned for several years. This section was referred to as the 'Normile Grade'. In 1921 work began again on the Yakima side, below Normile, on the

American River , name_etymology = , image = American River CA.jpg , image_size = 300 , image_caption = The American River at Folsom , map = Americanrivermap.png , map_size = 300 , map_caption ...

. This work was done using horse teams. In 1924, an army tractor was brought in to speed up the work. Work on the west side of the road commenced later, and took longer. The two sides did not meet until 1931 at

Tipsoo Lake Tipsoo Lake, at an elevation of above sea level, is an alpine lake within the Northern Cascade Range near the summit of Chinook Pass in Pierce County, Washington. The area is popular with photographers as the shores and surrounding area abound w ...

near the summit.

Recreation

From 1940 to 59, Chinook Pass was one of the top ski areas in the state, with a season that ran from December to June. There were numerous non-permanent rope tows that extended from Cayuse Pass to the

area. The requirement that they were temporary tows was made by the Mount Rainier National Park so the lifts could be removed when the snow melted in the summer months. With the state government plans to no longer keep Chinook Pass open during the winter months and the opening of

White Pass Ski Area The White Pass Ski Area is a ski area in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, in the Cascade Range at White Pass in the state of Washington. It is located west of Yakima on U.S. Route 12, and east of Morton. As the crow flies, the pass i ...

, lift skiing ended. It is still a very popular area for backcountry

telemark skiing Telemark skiing is a skiing technique that combines elements of Alpine and Nordic skiing, using the rear foot to keep balance while pushing on the front foot to create a carving turn on downhill skis with toe-only bindings. Telemark skiing is n ...

and snowboarding from May to July. Tipsoo Lake is located just a few hundred meters from the summit, with a picnic area and a trail going around the lake, is one of the most photographed landscapes in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. Chinook Pass is also a trailhead to the

Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...

, providing access to Dewey Lake and Cougar Lake (in the William O. Douglas Wilderness), Crystal Mountain Ski Resort, and the Norse Peak Wilderness. The

Naches Peak Loop Naches is a name used in Washington state, U.S.A. The name may refer to: *Naches, Washington *Naches River *Naches Pass Naches Pass (elevation ) is a mountain pass in the Cascade Range in the state of Washington. It is located about east of ...

is a trail route that goes around Naches Peak, containing a segment of the

External links

Chinook Pass
at the Washington State Department of Transportation website

for Chinook Pass,

, and

North Cascades Highway North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' is ...

at the Washington State Department of Transportation website
ChinookPass.com
for Chinook Pass road conditions and Mount Rainier National Park news Mountain passes of Washington (state) Mountain passes of the Cascades Landforms of Pierce County, Washington Landforms of Yakima County, Washington Transportation in Pierce County, Washington Transportation in Yakima County, Washington Tourist attractions in Pierce County, Washington Tourist attractions in Yakima County, Washington

History

Recreation

See also

External links