The South Cle Elum Rail Yard was a critical stop along the Milwaukee Road, a railroad that ran between Chicago and Puget Sound from 1908 to 1980. South Cle Elum was a crew-change point and also supported a passenger depot, freight on/offloading, locomotive servicing, and rail-car storage.
The last train traveled east through South Cle Elum on March 16, 1980, after the owner, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, went bankrupt. Washington's Department of Natural Resources acquired the track and did a rails-to-trails conversion, which was transferred to the State Parks in 1985 to create Iron Horse State Park a 1,612-acre park with nearly 110 miles (177 km) of trail extending from the western foothills of the Cascade Mountains to the sagebrush desert along the Columbia River.
Today, the 12-acre South Cle Elum Rail Yard is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and is preserved by the Cascade Rail Foundation. In addition to visiting the restored 1909 depot, you can walk an interpretive trail and see the remains of the turntable, roundhouse, and water tank, as well as the intact electrical substation, crew bunkhouse, and bungalows. Along the way, you'll learn the railroad's history, including its transition from steam to electrification to diesel.
Cache: The cache is a medium lock&lock on the caboose, a 1946 bay-window rib-side car that was unique to the Milwaukee Road in North America. Please rehide the container as found and don't "improve" the hide. It's meant to be easy and accessible.
Note: A Discover Pass is not required if you park at the depot.
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- This geocache has an approved Permit to be placed at this location on property managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Visitors are responsible for acquainting themselves with policies and rules pertaining to State Parks areas.
- The following items may not be placed in the geocache: food, illegal substances, medications, personal hygiene products, pornographic materials, hazardous materials, or weapons of any type.
- By searching for the cache, visitors agree that they are responsible for their own actions, and acknowledge that neither the State of Washington nor the cache owner is responsible for any loss or injury that may occur in relation to such search.
- Report any incident, problem, or violation to State Parks staff.
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