The dangerous Monte Cristo Road was washed out several years ago
Monte Cristo Road is a short mountain gravel trail located in eastern Snohomish County in the U.S. state of Washington. The road was washed out several years ago because of the South Fork Sauk River.
Tucked away in the Cascade Range in western Washington, the trail starts on the summit of Barlow Pass, a mountain pass at an elevation of 720m (2,361ft) above the sea level, on Mountain Loop Highway. The trail, also known as Old Robe Trail, is 4,3 miles (6.920km) long. The road is currently gated but open for foot and other non-motorized travel.
The trail leads to Monte Cristo, a mining ghost town abandoned in 1907, when mine closed, at an elevation of 842m (2,762ft) above the sea level. It’s extremely dangerous to try to drive it. Proceed at your own risk. Snohomish County does not warrant the bridges on this road for vehicular traffic. The way is fairly level, with a few steep spots. Floods in 2003 and 2006 have also taken chunks out of the road, which provides ample evidence as to why this road was never re-opened. The road was washed out several years ago because of the South Fork Sauk River. The road is impassable to vehicles as the shore on either side of the bridge is washed. The bridge remained standing. Bring water. Do not drink any of the river water, there are still contaminants from the mining operations. Surface water in the area has been found to contain arsenic and other heavy metals in amounts that exceed drinking water standards.
Pic: Jim Dockery