Wilkeson is a small town (pop. 500) that's rich in history. Entering town, you will pass graveyards filled with hard-working pioneers, loggers, and coal miners. You will see a stone arch that collapsed during an earthquake a few years ago and was rebuilt, and a large section of a tree that commemorates the town's logging history. Near the coke ovens, you will pass a beautiful old elementary school that's on the National Register of Historic Places but still in use today as a school.
The Wilkeson Coke Ovens played an important role in driving the economic development of the area in the late 1800s. Coal was in high demand to fuel the shipping industry, foundries, and homes along the West Coast. The discovery of Wilkeson coal deposits meant that Northern Pacific Railroad could profit from building rail service from Wilkeson to Tacoma, and Tacoma, with its natural deep harbors, could become a leading port in Puget Sound.
The highly prized, bituminous coal found in Wilkeson burned hotter after a coking process, and was more stable for firing in industrial furnaces of the time. So the Wilkeson Coal and Coke Company was formed, and at its peak operated 160 coke ovens on this site. The coke ovens roared for days at a time, lighting the sky at night, as they smelted the raw coal to remove impurities. The resulting coke was taken by rail to Tacoma for foundries or to be loaded on ships for San Francisco.
Today, all that remains of this industry are some coke ovens and the cement frame of a bunker. You can also see some railroad handcars and track. This is where the annual railroad handcar race is held every July in Wilkeson.
Read more about the coke ovens.
The cache: You can park less than 500 feet from the cache, which is on the hillside behind the coke ovens. Find the trail on the west end of the ovens; it will take you uphill about 100 yards to the cache location. There is no need to leave the trail to reach this cache.
2016 was the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, and to celebrate, Visit Rainier and WSGA hosted the Visit Rainier Centennial GeoTour - 100 caches placed in and around Mount Rainier National Park. The geocaches highlighted the rich history, scenic wonders, quaint communities, and hidden gems of the Rainier region. Participants received geocoin and pathtag prizes for finding all the caches.
