The Cascade Tunnel in northern Washington is a railfan delight. The trains are plentiful and the scenery great. Both ends of the tunnel are easily accessed. The original line is now the Iron Goat Trail and goes from Scenic to Wellington. The main concern is safety. DO NOT ENTER any of the tunnels on either line. On the present line there is no place to get out of the way should a train arrive. On the Trail it has been almost eighty years since any maintenance has been done and the tunnels are starting to cave in. As with any place, enjoy your stay and take only photos and leave only footprints.
Good old Scenic, I spent countless days there. For good weather, I'd head over to Merrit and soak up the sunshine, then if a train was rolling up the hill, back over to Scenic again! Not quite accurate on the trail conditions there Mr SP. The Iron Goat is maintained, just the tunnels aren't. At the western end its actually called Martin, and uphill from Martin is the kick butt mtn bike ride of a climb called Capn. Point. Let me say it takes a a few hours of riding to get to the top! Its to bad the hot springs are closed now, in the late spring I'd head up to them, and of course then freights would roll by below, making me mad because I usually waited hours for something!
To bad they don't let people ride horses on that trail I'd love to see it ( bad knee cant walk very far,HUMMMM I wonder if i could claim him as a service animal?)
Of course. You don't graduate into being a full fledged railfan, until this has happened so many times, you can't count them... mg: Boxcab E50
The Iron Goat Trail is completed to Scenic from the "Twin Tunnels". The original trailhead as you mentioned was at Martin Creek. There is still the huff'npuff climb to the upper grade though. The trail is well maintained but the tunnels are extremely dangerous.
Mr SP, I haven't been to Scenic in a lil over a year, so the new trail portion to Scenic I don't know about. I used to start by riding my mtn bike up the old Pass road to Weelington, then down the trail and back. NP2152, I wish horse were allowed as well, but I think there are a coupke sections that aren't to conducive to them, though I wouldn't mind, I think the trail should be open to people walking, mtn bikers, and equestrians. Ohhh boxcab, I wish I had a nickel for every day I waited at Scenic for action, and the only thing to show up was the Builder. I'd usually go out on Friday night, spend the evening in the cab, listening to C89.5, the high school dance station from Seattle, and wait patiently for something to roar up the hill or descend outta the tunnel. I swear that the tunnel would play tricks on me, lights appearing when nothing was there, etc......