Darrington, Granite Falls to celebrate reopening of Mountain Loop Highway

When the logging industry went sour in Darrington, the Snohomish County town of 1,500 hoped tourism would spur the economy.

And then the Mountain Loop Highway shut down.

For five years, the 55-mile scenic highway, which connects Darrington and Granite Falls, has been closed because of heavy rains and flooding in 2003 that washed out bridges and roadways in the area.

While the road reopened this week, it officially opens Saturday and the two towns are celebrating in a big way. Barbecues, kids games, a fun run, an ice-cream social, arts and crafts fairs, and music.

It starts with an official noon ribbon-cutting at Barlow Pass, between Silverton and Darrington. It will be the first summer opening of the highway in five years, although it briefly opened last fall until shut down again by snow.

The route's return will reopen access to dozens of trails and campgrounds, including the well-known Goat Lake Trail, which has been inaccessible since the highway closed.

From Granite Falls, the highway winds its way through the tiny towns of Verlot and Silverton before reaching Darrington at the intersection of Highway 530. Arlington, about 30 miles west, marks the unofficial end of the loop.

Much of the $800,000 repair project on the roadway involved rebuilding washouts to protect the highway from swollen rivers.

Joyce Jones, mayor of Darrington, has estimated the closure of the road cost her town more than $750,000 in tourism spending.

"This is a great economic boost to us," said Jones. "We're trying to convert to tourism because of losing the logging industry and our economy went to nothing. We're trying to become a recreation destination."

And with the high price of gas, Jones is hoping Washington vacationers will stick close to home. Kelly Gruol, with the Granite Falls Chamber of Commerce, said his town noticed a huge drop in tourist dollars when the highway shut down.

"The community lost quite a bit of money," he said, adding that the Mountain Loop Highway had been the second-most-popular tourist location in Snohomish County, after the Boeing plant.

Among other attractions, the Mountain Loop Highway provides access to the Big Four Ice Caves — currently closed due to flood damage — and the deserted mining town of Monte Cristo. The Forest Service estimates 55,000 tourists travel through Granite Falls and Darrington at the height of the season.

Peter Forbes, Darrington district ranger with the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, said he recognizes the role the Mountain Loop Highway plays in the small Snohomish County communities.

"The closure of the Mountain Loop had a significant impact on their economies," he said. While a detour added only about 20 miles to the route, he said the loss was more dramatic. "You couldn't drive through the mountains, and you lost the scenery," Forbes said. "We're going into summer in a good way."

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com