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(By clicking on the Register here button, you will be leaving Seattle.gov and be redirected to our partner North Cascades' website). Email SkagitTours.Reservations@Seattle.gov or call us at (360) 854-2589. TAKE A TOUR HERE! Skagit Boat Tour Specialty Tours SKAGIT BOAT TOURS Start your American Alps adventure with a sumptuous locally grown, organic lunch at the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center on the shores of Diablo Lake. You'll hear from a North Cascades National Park ranger and North Cascades Institute guide about some of the facts surrounding the beautiful mountain and river setting you are about to experience. Your guided tour then begins with a walk to the boat dock led by the Ranger explaining some of the area's natural history, biodiversity, and geology. You'll learn about the unique relationship between the environment and the three hydroelectric dams that provide clean, renewable power to the citizens of Seattle. At the end of the walk you'll board the Alice Ross III and you'll be in the capable hands of the Seattle City Light boat captain. Visitors experience Diablo Lake in a way that's hidden from sight when traveling the highway or hiking trails. Tours come alive with anecdotal stories about the Park. The vast alpine wilderness becomes your temporary playground as you learn about natural wildlife habitat that surrounds the lake and about the long, colorful history of the hydroelectric project, which helped to open up this magical area to today's visitors. The boat tours are offered Thursdays-Mondays, from June 21 through September 3. The cruise lasts about an hour and 15 minutes. Participants need to be able to walk short distances; the boat is not wheelchair accessible. NORTH CASCADES EXPEDITIONS Another option for visitors to the National Park and the Seattle City Light hydroelectric project is the North Cascades Expedition. This tour, led by a park ranger and North Cascades Institute guide, offers an in-depth view of the Skagit Project and the North Cascades environment as seen from scenic Highway 20 that runs through the North Cascades. The tours begin in Newhalem and feature stops at several Skagit Project facilities, providing views from scenic vistas, short hikes, and a picnic lunch along the way. North Cascades Expeditions are offered Fridays-Sundays, from June 22 through September 2, and also on Labor Day (September 3). The Expedition lasts about 6 hours. Participants should be able to walk or move along on trails and boardwalks; the van is wheelchair accessible. POWERHOUSE TOURS In the fall, the popular powerhouse tours return. These tours are led by Seattle City Light employees who work at the Skagit Project. A limited number of visitors will receive a guided tour of Gorge and Diablo powerhouses, a walking tour of historic Newhalem and Ladder Creek Falls Gardens, lunch at North Cascades Environmental Learning Center, and a boat trip on Diablo Lake to the base of Ross Dam. Powerhouse tours were stopped in 2001 for security reasons after 9/11. Restored in 2011, the tours were an immediate sell-out. The powerhouse tours are offered on Friday and Saturday, September 21 and 22; and Friday and Saturday, October 5 and 6. The tours are about 6.5 hours long and begin in Newhalem. Participants should be able to walk over rough ground and climb up and down numerous steps. The powerhouses are not wheelchair accessible. Children under the age of 12 are not allowed on this tour. Ross Powerhouse is under construction in 2012 and not available for the tour. NEWHALEM WALKING TOURS Walking tours of the historic town of Newhalem are offered twice daily from July 1 through September 3, twice on Saturdays and Sundays in June and September. These tours last about 1.5 hours and are free. Skagit Boat Tour $30.00 adults $15.00 youth 12 & under $27.00 seniors 62 & older North Cascades Expeditions $25.00 adults $12.50 youth 12 & under $20.00 for active seniors 62 and older Skagit Powerhouse Tours $35.00 for adults and active seniors (no children under 12) Newhalem Walking Tour FREE 
*Fudge available at the Skagit General Store when Highway 20 re-opens for the 2012 season! Operating hours for the store are 10:00 - 5:00 every day* Take in all the scenic North Cascades has to offer. Recreation opportunities in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area and North Cascades National Park include boating, fishing, camping, hiking and climbing. Adventure and relaxation are awaiting you in the American Alps. Due to heightened security since Sept. 11, 2001, Seattle City Light has restricted access to certain areas of the Skagit River Hydroelectric project. There is no public access to Ross and Diablo Powerhouses without a City Light escort; the Incline Railway is not operational. Other attractions including the Gorge Powerhouse Visitors' Gallery, Ladder Creek Falls, the Trail of the Cedars and the Gorge Dam Overlook Trail remain open year-round for public use. For additional information, please email SkagitTours Information Center at SkagitTours.reservations@seattle.gov or call (360) 854-2589. Clean, Renewable Energy Seattle City Light has generated hydroelectric power on the Skagit River since 1918. Today there are three dams providing power to the citizen-owners in Seattle. These engineering marvels are a testament to the vision and foresight of J.D. Ross, one of the first superintendents of Seattle City Light. The steep canyon of the upper Skagit River formed a natural barrier that kept fish from spawning further up-river, while also providing an ideal location for generating power. As the three dams were built, care was taken to reduce the impact on the natural beauty and pristine environment of the North Cascades and the Skagit River. Today, City Light continues its long history of environmental stewardship along the Skagit. Management of the upper Skagit has resulted in numerous awards by City Light for resource sustainability and habitat preservation. In fact, runs of threatened and endangered salmon species on the Skagit are the highest of all the tributaries to Puget Sound. Because 90 percent of City Light's power resources are from clean, renewable hydroelectric power, in 2005 the utility became the first - and remains the only - electric utility in the U.S. to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Breath-Taking Scenery 
The mountains and glaciers that make up the North Cascades region are some of the most spectacular in the Lower 48 United States. Rugged and majestic, adventurers are drawn to their often snowy slopes to "get away from it all." In fact, author Jack Kerouac spent the summer of 1956 in the Desolation Peak fire lookout that towers above Ross Lake. The North Cascades National Park Complex is managed by the National Park Service with campgrounds and hiking trails dotting the route along Highway 20. The National Park Visitor Center just west of Newhalem is a wonderful location for recreationists to learn about the many outdoor activities and educational opportunities available. With management by the National Park Service, the natural beauty of the area will be protected for generations to come. Educational and Inspirational 
Many partners work together to preserve the beauty that is the North Cascades. In 2006 the North Cascades Institute, the National Park Service, and Seattle City Light combined efforts to create the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center (ELC) on Diablo Lake. This unique facility, which features a holistic design, sustainable architecture, and environmentally responsible operations, is a learning opportunity in its own right. A number of classes and field trips provide day trippers and overnight guests with the chance to discover and explore the North Cascades in a variety of ways. Dining at the ELC completes the experience of learning about sustainability and environmental responsibility. |
 Diablo Dam  Old Number Six  Ladder Creek Falls  Diablo Lake from Hwy 20 Viewpoint  Pyramid Peak from the top of Diablo Dam |
The Seattle City Light Web Team:
Seattle City Light -- 700 5th Avenue, Suite 3200, Seattle, WA 98104-5031 -- 206.684.3000
Mailing address: 700 5th Avenue, Suite 3200, P.O. Box 34023 Seattle, WA 98124-4023
Seattle City Light -- 700 5th Avenue, Suite 3200, Seattle, WA 98104-5031 -- 206.684.3000
Mailing address: 700 5th Avenue, Suite 3200, P.O. Box 34023 Seattle, WA 98124-4023