Yellow Pages
Now is the time to go to Ross Dam. Summer crowds have thinned and school is beginning, which means one might be able to find a place to park in the relatively small lot.
Ross Dam was completed in 1952, corralling the Skagit River and forming the 22-mile long Ross Lake. The trail descends to the top of the dam. When walking across the massive concrete structure, be prepared for gusty winds.
You will get unblemished views of the lake and river. The river explodes from spillways a vertigo-inducing 500 feet below the top of the dam.
Distance: 2 miles
Destination: Ross Dam
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation gain: 520 feet
Getting there: Highway 20 to about milepost 134, about 14 miles east of Newhalem. The trailhead parking lot is on the north side of the road at an elevation of 2,150 feet.
The Trek: After parking in the lot, set out on a rocky trail that begins to descend immediately as it makes its way along a hillside.
Continuing to hug the hillside, the trail enters and exits stands of lodgepole pine, hemlock and fir trees, the lower branches of which are draped in old man’s beard moss.
The trail is compact and obviously well trodden. Through gaps in the forest, one is afforded glimpses of the dam below as well as of the surrounding peaks. The dam comes nearly into full view from a rocky clearing.
Continue past massive boulders as the twisting descent continues.
The area is soon filled with the sound of rushing water as a bridge spanning Happy Creek is reached in a quarter-mile. Looking upstream, a picturesque falls can be seen. Head off trail for a moment and trek upstream to get the full view.
The stream is log and rock strewn. Raging during high runoff seasons, the creek blasts its way over a precipice and disappears as it flows toward the lake far below.
Speaking of precipices, there is soon one on the left of the trail. The hillside drops away to nothing but the tops of trees.
Bend around a corner before dropping into a gully and making a hairpin turn to the left at the bottom.
More large rocks and towering trees are met as one continues on. Pass a pair of massive rocks, cleaved from the face high above. The area is definitely prone to slides as trees dot the rocky and barren landscape.
Switchback to the left and reach another rocky outcropping. Cautiously step out onto its face for views up and down the valley.
Another series of switchbacks leads past several small shacks housing radio equipment (a tower sits outside) and a generator. Directly below is the dam.
Continuing to descend, the views of the valley are soon obscured by foliage.
In 0.6 of a mile, spill out onto a gravel road. A sign shows the way. To the right is the dock for the Ross Lake Resort boat and a phone. To the left is Ross Dam and the Ross Lake Resort Trail.
Proceed left.
The road continues downhill, passing a clearing on the left. The clearing is nothing noteworthy. However, the large high-and-dry tugboat Skagit Seattle is. It’s not often one comes across a tugboat high in the Cascades.
After checking out the boat, continue down the road. This road is used by utility trucks, so keep an eye out. In a couple hundred yards, reach an intersection with a road diving off to the right. A sign proclaims this as the route to Ross Dam and Ross Lake Resort.
Follow it to the top of the dam.
There is something about the sheer magnitude of a dam, and Ross Dam is no different.
There is lake on one side and hundreds of feet of nothing but air on the other. Trout fingerling can be seen in the shallows of the lake.
It’s about a quarter-mile across the top of the dam. From this vantage point, the floating cabins of Ross Lake Resort can be seen in the distance, while towering high above are Colonial Peak and Jack Mountain.
Once you have reached the west side of the dam, locate the remains of an old cement road. This is the trailhead for the Resort Trail and the Big Beaver Trail.
The trek to the resort will be featured in a future Hike of the Week.
After taking in the spectacular views, turn around and prepare for the uphill trek back to the rig.
Ross Dam Trail
Last Updated: September 03, 2009 - 12:50 PM
Vince Richardson
The waters of Ross Lake back up behind Ross Dam.
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