Granite Falls

What is worth your time in Granite Falls.

• Granite Falls Fish Ladder — Built in 1954, it was then the longest vertical-baffle fish ladder in the world, and a short staircase from a gravel lot leads down to it and the rock falls that gave the town its name.
• Big Four Ice Caves — Snow-melt streams under avalanche debris at the foot of Big Four Mountain's 4,200 ft face form caves in ice that counts as the lowest-elevation glacier in the lower 49 states.
• Monte Cristo — A ghost town mined for gold and silver from 1889 to 1907 and later a resort until 1983, with many century-old structures still standing, including the railway turntable.
• Barlow Pass — The paved road ends at this 2,362 ft pass, where a trailhead leads to Monte Cristo.

• Hike the 2.7 mi trail to the top of Mount Pilchuck, the area's most prominent peak at 5,324 ft.
• Walk the Lake 22 Trail, a 5.4 mi round trip with 1,350 ft of gain through old growth forest to an alpine lake; the trailhead fills early.
• Take the easy 45-minute hike to a lookout over the Big Four Ice Caves.
• Drive the Mountain Loop Highway for trailheads, campgrounds and fishing spots, or hike and bike the 8 mi round-trip decommissioned road to Monte Cristo.

• The highway is jointly maintained by Snohomish County and the United States Forest Service.
• Most land along the highway is regulated by the U.S. Forest Service, and recreation generally requires a pass displayed on each vehicle.
• Open-fire burn bans are common in summer, as in much of the American West.