N of Newhalem in Ross Lake National Recreation Area, Newhalem, Washington. County/parish: Whatcom.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places June 07, 1974. NRIS 74000909.
1 contributing site.
The Devil's Corner Cliff Walk, also known as the Devils Elbow is a feature of Ross Lake National Recreation Area. The stretch of trail that is referred to as the Devils Corner is about 500 ft. The walk was originally part of a longer trail named the Goat Trail.
The area the trail is now was first traversed by miners in the late 1870's. It wasn't until the 1890's when a tunnel was blasted into the cliffside and the wooden suspension bridge across the gorge was built that Devil's Corner was fully established. It functioned as pedestrian transportation across the Skagit River Valley until around the start of the 20th century. The trail was subject to many snow slides and rockfalls which would occasionally make it impassible by pedestrians.
In 1912, the U.S Forest Service repaired the bridge and widened it to make safe for foot and horse traffic. Further repairs were undertaken in the 1920's by miners using wood from the Goodell Creek Sawmill.
The trail fell out of popularity around the 1920's when the Seattle City Light railroad was built through the area. Other modes of transportation were built around the Skagit River Valley, such as North Cascades Highway.
By the mid 1970's, the suspension bridge fell into disrepair and was considered unsafe for pedestrians. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It now functions as a park.
(read more...)National Park Service documentation: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75611797