Wenatchee is located in the fertile valley of Central Washington at the meeting point of the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers. Wenatchee stands as the second most populous city in the region and serves as the seat of Chelan County. Initially inhabited by indigenous Wenatchi people, the area saw the arrival of Euro-American settlers, who were drawn by its scenic beauty. The first non-indigenous settlers, including gold prospectors, Chinese miners, cattlemen, and missionaries, began arriving around 18 11. The establishment of the Great Northern Railway depot in 1892 marked a significant turning point, facilitating accessibility and sparking rapid development. The Wenatchee Development Company, in collaboration with the railway, surveyed and platted the town site, leading to substantial property sales and population growth. Wenatchee quickly earned renown as the "Apple Capital of the World" due to its ideal climate and fertile soil, leading to a boom in fruit production.
You may see a small dam that channels water from the Wenatchee River into irrigation canals. This valley is very dry and the fruit trees here depend entirely upon irrigation from the river. Hydroelectric power is also one of Washington State’s most significant exports. From the Empire Builder, east of Wenatchee, we can see Rock Island Dam, the first dam to span the Columbia River. Construction began in 1930, and the first powerhouse came online in 1933. The dam will be on the train’s right about 15 minutes after we leave Wenatchee. At night, the dam is attractively lit.
Along this agricultural valley, notice the large concrete warehouses that are used to store fruit. Once filled with fresh fruit, these cold storage facilities are sealed and flushed with nitrogen. This reduces the oxygen level to a very low 2%. Stable storage at the specified low oxygen level and cold temperature keeps the fruit fresher longer. You may also notice propeller-like fans in the orchards. They are used in the early spring to stir up the air to combat frost that might kill the flowering fruit buds. Orchard fans are easier to use and environmentally cleaner than the old method of burning smudge pots.
The orchards you see along our route are some of the most productive in the entire US. Three important ingredients come together in this area to make that happen. The first ingredient is good soil. The second ingredient is lots of sun. Both of those ingredients have been here since the first settlers arrived. What was missing was the third key ingredient – water. Irrigation is critical to the orchards and the Wenatchee River flowing through this area is the source for that water for irrigation.
Known as the "Bavarian Village", Leavenworth holds a unique distinction. The town reinvented itself from a declining logging town to a Bavarian-style tourist destination.In the 1960s, the town of Leavenworth’s business leaders decided to “go Bavarian” and adopted a southern German theme. The idea was such a success that in 1978, the city council required a Bavarian theme for all new construction as a condition to receive a building permit. By the mid-1980s, a million tourists a year visited this faux-Bavarian village surrounded by 9,000 foot peaks. Visitors descend upon the town for Oktoberfest and the Christmas season, many arriving on special Christmas trains from the Seattle area. Today, it's famous for its Oktoberfest and Christmas lighting festival.
This section of the route has a series of three tunnels. The route takes us through a mountain ridge away from the Wenatchee River Valley and via the Chumstick Valley along tracks known as the Chumstick Cutoff. Along the way we will cross over the Wenatchee River. The Chumstick Cutoff was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1928 to avoid the Wenatchee River, where it flows through the narrow and hazardous Tumwater Canyon. The former route through Tumwater Canyon is now followed by US Highway 2 west of Leavenworth.Along this section of our route, look for large ponderosa pine trees.
Have you noticed since exiting the tunnel that we see less vegetation and fewer trees? Notice the Ponderosa pines here that we did not see on the western slopes of the Cascades - yellow to orange-red bark in broad plates with black crevices. Since we left Puget Sound, we have been traveling east from a marine climate toward a true desert climate. This change takes place in a straight-line distance of about 100 miles. The Greater Seattle Metropolitan area averages about 40 inches of precipitation per year. But here on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains, the average is a mere eight inches or less.
The Empire Builder follows Nason Creek for about ten miles. Nason Creek is part of the Columbia River watershed, and it flows into the Wenatchee River, then joins the Columbia River, and eventually flows westward to the Pacific Ocean.The Columbia River drainage area is the size of France. It extends into British Columbia and includes extensive portions of the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and even a few acres of Nevada and Utah.
We will soon be crossing the over 500-foot-long Gaynor Trestle. Look on both sides of the train for a dramatic view of Nason Creek flowing in a deep gorge. The trestle and tunnel were constructed in 1949 to straighten the track and ease the climb of trains up the eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains.
At the eastern portal of the tunnel are two 800-horsepower electric fans forcing fresh air into the tunnel during and after the passage of each train. It takes about half an hour to ventilate the tunnel, which limits the number of trains that can use it each day to 28 trains.
If we are headed eastbound, we will soon enter the New Cascade Tunnel. If you just exited the tunnel traveling westbound, here is some history of the tunnel. During our nearly 15-minute passage, the track climbs over 600 vertical feet to a maximum elevation of just under 2,900 feet above sea level. This tunnel is the longest in the United States at 7.8 miles. It is 16 feet wide, over 21 feet high, and completely lined with concrete. The New Cascade Tunnel opened in 1929 after 3 years of construction. 1,800 men worked from both ends toward the middle and from the middle toward both ends. A vertical shaft was blasted from the surface down to grade level in the middle of the tunnel route. The cost to build the tunnel was $25 million in 1920 dollars.
There have been three engineering approaches used by the Great Northern Railway to cross the Cascade Mountains: From 1892 to 1900, there were a series of switchbacks, much like the zigzags of a steep hiking trail, that went over the pass at the 4,060 ft. summit. Train length and weight were severely limited and it took hours even in the best of weather to cross over the pass. In the winter it was often impossible. How would you liked to have worked as one of the railroad’s winter employees shoveling deep snow by hand? When this original line was built, speed of construction took precedence over the quality of line because of the Great Northern’s need to generate traffic and income quickly.
The dominant species of evergreen trees are Douglas fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar. This elevation is too low for pine trees to be the predominant species. The deciduous trees, those with leaves, are mostly red alder, vine maple, cottonwood and big leaf maple. The forests we are seeing are mostly second and third growth. The first growth forest (often called “old growth”) was first logged in the late 1880s which is why we don’t see any giant trees but these trees that are about 100 years old. Some of the old growth trees in this valley were over eight feet in diameter.
We will be crossing the Foss River shortly. The river will be briefly visible on both sides of the train. The Foss River drains a number of beautiful alpine lakes in the rugged Alpine Lakes Wilderness. As we cross over the bridge, look up the Foss River for a quick view of some of the mountains in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The Alpine Lakes Wilderness contains nearly 700 small alpine lakes. Although there are no roads in this wilderness area, there are over 600 miles of trails, some more than 8,000 feet tall, that attract 150,000 hikers and backpackers each year and make the Alpine Lakes one of the nation’s most visited wilderness areas.
We are approaching the Cascade Mountain town of Skykomish, which came to life in the early 1890s as a result of construction of the Great Northern Railway. It has been a significant railroad town for over 100 years. Mining, timber, and tourist interests helped build the town as well. Skykomish, at nearly 1,000 ft. above sea level, was chosen as the site for a major rail yard because it is the last relatively flat area before the steep track up to Stevens Pass. As we pass through the town, you will see many of the buildings from the early-1900s and the old 18 94 Great Northern Depot on the side of the train opposite the town. Both the Great Northern Depot and the Skykomish Historic Commercial District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As you can see, the tracks run right through the center of this town of about 200 people, down from several thousand who lived here in the 1920s as the railroad constructed the New Cascade Tunnel. The cafes and taverns and two hotels are about all that is left now that modern-day railroad operations have eliminated the need for a stop here. The town has undergone a significant restoration in recent years. You will see new streets, sidewalks, and streetlights, as well as a new town park under construction. This historic town is fast becoming a tourist destination with its rich history and beautiful mountain location.
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We will cross over the Sunset Falls trestle soon, the largest of three major waterfalls on the South Fork of the Skykomish River. Sunset Falls plunges 104 vertical feet down a 275-foot granite chute. Nearby, Mount Index and Bridal Veil Falls grace the valley. Historically, fish couldn't pass these falls, but now, the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife aids migration with a fish trap and elevator from July to October. This allows salmon and steelhead access to over 100 miles of spawning grounds, providing sustenance for local wildlife.
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We are approaching the historic Cascade Mountain town of Index where we will cross over the North Fork of the Skykomish River. Watch on the opposite side from the river for a 500 foot high granite cliff face called the Index Town Wall that is popular with rock climbers. The town of Index has been around almost as long as the state of Washington, itself. When the railroad came through in the 1890s, Index experienced a boom in extraction industries such as gold and silver mining for about 30 years. Granite quarrying and lumbering became profitable industries because their products could be transported by the railroad. Not only did its many resources help build a roaring town in the early 20th century, but it also helped make many wonderful contributions to the future of the state. Many people surely thought that the town of Index would make a difference in Washingtonian culture for many years to come. However, as time passed, the services the town had offered were changed by society. This caused many of its residents to flee, leaving the town with a sparse population. As it is buried deep in the cascade forest away from the public eye, many people are unaware of the town’s existence. However, one thing is for certain. The town has not lost its beauty nor has it lost its noble history. As we go through town you will see some rafts and kayaks that can be launched here to head downstream through Boulder Drop Rapids.
Just ahead we will be crossing over the Skykomish River on the Boulder Drop Bridge. If you look upstream from the bridge you can see a treacherous stretch of the river called Boulder Drop. Those of you who are kayakers or rafters are familiar with the grading system of River Difficulty. Class 1 is the easiest and safest whitewater rapids and Class 6 is the most difficult and most dangerous. Depending on the season and the volume of water flowing in the river, Boulder Drop can be a class five rapids.
Historic Highway 2 which parallels the Empire Builder's route most of the way between Everett, Washington, and Grand Forks, North Dakota. That’s a distance of over 1400 miles. Highway 2 is the northernmost transcontinental highway in the US. So when you look out the window and see a highway paralleling the train track, it’s most likely Highway 2.
The Empire Builder is nearing the town of Sultan. Other nearby small towns of Startup, and Gold Bar, were shaped by the Great Northern Railway, local mining, and timber industries. These towns flourished due to the convergence of these factors, each contributing to their growth and development. Each share it's own unique story and development attributing to Washington's history.
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We will be following the Skykomish for about the next 35 miles. In the summer, the river is very popular with fishermen, kayakers and rafters. The Skykomish is one of the largest rivers in the state of Washington that has not been dammed. Salmon travel from the Pacific Ocean up this river to spawn. We’ll see some of the 10,000 waterfalls in the state of Washington as we travel up this river. I’ll point out three or four of the more significant waterfalls as we travel along.
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We are nearing the city of Monroe. Monroe is an agricultural center for the surrounding area. If you visited Pike Place Market in Seattle and saw fresh flowers for sale there, chances are those flowers were grown here in the Snohomish River valley. We will pass the Evergreen State Fairgrounds. For those of you who live in the Puget Sound area, you have probably been to the fair here in Monroe at least once in your lifetime. As we pass through town watch for a tall concrete smokestack. This smokestack is all the remains of the Carnation Evaporated Milk Company factory that burned down in the 1940s. Rumor has it that it was too expensive to tear down the smokestack so they put a coat of paint on it and it became an icon for the city.
We respectfully acknowledge the Native Peoples whose ancestral homelands we shall pass through today. As well, we acknowledge the diverse and vibrant Native communities who make their home along our route. As we pass through those Native Peoples' land today, we will honor their area as well as attempt to pronounce and translate the name of their people. As we travel from the shores of Puget Sound, along the Snohomish and Skykomish Rivers, through the Cascade Mountain foothills and along the Wenatchee River, we pass through the homelands of the Snohomish, Skykomish, Snoqualmie and Wenatchee Native American tribes. Indigenous people inhabited North America long before European governments sent explorers to claim the lands and their resources. Today, some 29 federally recognized Native American tribes live on reservations in Washington State.
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We're currently in the Snohomish River Valley, a big farming area. Alfalfa, used for cattle feed, is a common crop here, baled into large rolls sometimes covered in white plastic to protect from rain. We'll also spot blueberry farms, some with mature plants and others new. Passing through Snohomish city, we'll see Harvey Airfield to the right, popular in summer for hot air ballooning and skydiving. Snohomish is also home to several artists and creative minds.
Everett was officially established in 1893, the same year the Great Northern Railroad was completed. Between 1900 and the start of World War II in 1941, Everett was recognized as the chief manufacturing city in Washington and had the nickname of the City of Smokestacks. During that time, there were 12 sawmills, 16 shake and shingle mills, two sash and door factories, two plywood plants, four pulp and paper mills, and two Foundries and the country's most significant salmon packing plant. All have since vanished. Today, Everett’s principal industries are the Naval shipyard and Boeing, and is home to Everett Community College.
The Everett Port and Naval Station are adjacent to one another, located on the Puget Sound, just west of Downtown Everett. Being located on the Puget Sound allows for ships to load and unload products for shipment to and from Asian countries. Access to the Pacific Ocean fosters a vital economic hub, with the Everett Port serving as a gateway for trade with Asian countries. Additionally, the port serves as a great economic booster for the city as it brings jobs, a tax base, and business and tourism to the community and region. The port is nestled between the pristine waters of Puget Sound and the majestic mountain peaks of the Cascades. Its strategic location provides easy access to explore the diverse landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, including Vancouver, Canada, just under 100 miles to the north, and the San Juan Islands and Olympic Peninsula, reachable by a short ferry ride. The region boasts breathtaking scenery, lush forests, and abundant wildlife, offering countless opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. Naval Station Everett sits approximately 29 miles north of Seattle. In 1983, Everett was chosen as the Navy's Strategic Homeport Initiative location after being selected from 13 ports. This decision was influenced by U.S. Senator Henry M. Jackson and supported by the local community. Construction of the naval facility began in November 1987, and by April 1994, it achieved Initial Operating Capability with the arrival of the first homeported ships later that year.
On the water side is the Mukilteo Lighthouse. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Mukilteo Lighthouse is historically significant for its past and ongoing role as an active navigational aid. It has guided ships into the Puget Sound, on east side of Whidbey Island, since it was built in 1906. It is the centerpiece of Lighthouse Park, which features a beach, shelters, and children's play areas. Owned by the city, the Mukilteo Historical Society operates the lighthouse, offering tours and interpretive exhibits exploring the history of the station. The light itself is visible 10 miles away and is illuminated by a fourth-order Fresnel lens. Other buildings at the site include the engine house, two former keeper's dwellings, the oil house, and a garage. The structures are all well preserved. The Coast Guard operates the light and fog horn, which is in the lighthouse building.
Across Puget Sound is Whidbey Island, the largest island in Puget Sound and claims to be the second longest island in the US at 55 miles. The island is located 30 miles north of Seattle and is accessible by ferry or car. The north end of the island is home to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. This air station is one of the largest in the Navy and employs almost 10,000 military and civilian personnel. The island has a lot to offer, from hikes on Ebey’s Landing to the restaurants in Oak Harbor. There are many permanent residents who call Whidbey Island home, as well as vacationers who take advantage of the location for brief periods throughout the year.
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Edmond is a city in Snohomish County. It is part of Seattle's metropolitan area, and is located about 15 miles north of Seattle. It was established as a city in the 1890s right before the Great Northern Railway period. This city consists of about 40,000 residents and is known for its beaches, excellent restaurants, galleries, and small shops. It is connected by two state highways and the state ferry system. Most of its public service in Edmonds is centered around the downtown train station served by the Amtrak and Sounder commuter trains - and several other community transit bus routes to outlying neighborhoods.
Puget Sound is unusually deep, with an average depth of over 450 feet. Its deepest point is just north of Seattle at over 900 feet. Puget Sound’s geography and large water volume produce an average range of more than 12 feet between high and low tides. The water of Puget Sound is unusually cold, not getting any warmer than 53 degrees in summer, with a low of about 45 in winter.”
The large body of water adjacent to Seattle is the Puget Sound. The Sound is salt water because it’s connected to the Pacific Ocean about 100 miles northwest of here. Puget Sound experiences tides just like you were directly on the ocean. The Sound is one of the world’s largest and most ecologically diverse inland seas. It's best known for its rich marine life, which includes several pods of killer whales, also known as orcas. In addition to the Orcas, the sound has visiting gray whales and salmon that migrate from the Pacific Ocean to spawn in the freshwater streams in this region. Some other species that are found in the sound include Dungeness crab, shrimp, and the world’s largest octopus. You may see a variety of birds along the shore, including blue herons, seagulls, geese, ducks, and occasionally a bald eagle. Across Puget Sound are the Olympic Mountains and Olympic National Park, which includes large stands of old-growth forest and moss-covered rain forests that receive more than 12 feet of rain a year.
The bridge was built in 1914 by the Great Northern Railway and has an opening span of 200 feet. The Ship Canal connects the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound with the freshwater of Lake Washington, which is 20 feet higher than Puget Sound. Boats are lowered and raised between the two different levels via the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, also known as the Ballard Locks. The locks can be seen on the side of the train opposite Puget Sound about a quarter of a mile away. Most of the boats passing through the canal to Lake Washington are recreational traffic with occasional barges transporting various commercial products.
On the city side in the distance is the Space Needle, Seattle's 605-foot-tall landmark which debuted at the 1962 World's Fair, drawing 2.3 million visitors. Its construction was supported by a 1957 bond and federal funds. Resilient to winds and earthquakes, it features 25 lightning rods. Every New Year's Eve, it hosts a synchronized fireworks show at midnight.
The Seattle waterfront was originally constructed as a container port in the 1960s. However, it has transformed into an urbanized hub spanning from the Pioneer Square to roughly northwest past downtown Seattle. Since its development, it has become more oriented towards recreational activities and retail uses. Popular areas featured at the Seattle Waterfront includes the Ferris Wheel, Aquarium, and overwater hotel.
Let's begin our tour narration here at King Street Station. Built in 1906, King Street Station once served as a train station for the Great Northern Railway and Northern Pacific Railway. The Reed and Stem firm's design of the brick, stone, and terra cotta building with a four-sided clock tower was inspired by the campanile of Venice, Italy in the Piazza de San Marco. The station is now apart of the Amtrak rail and Sound Transit commuter intermodal system with commercial spaces for lease. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Welcome to the AMTRAK Empire Builder train 8 departing from Seattle for Wenatchee and points east. This audio narration of the Empire Builder’s route from Seattle to Wenatchee is sponsored by GeoTours4U and presents information describing points of interest along the route. This information comes from a variety of sources including the public domain version of the route guide researched by volunteers of the Trails and Rails program of the National Park Service. The narrations were formatted as a class project by students studying in the Geography Department of the University of Washington.
This Tour is a Thematic Tour or Heritage Trail.
Get a QR Code for this tour
The AMTRAK Empire Builder Train originates at the King Street Station in Seattle and terminates in Chicago. This tour covers the first leg of this journey from Seattle to Wenatchee, Washington.
