Field Report: Robe Canyon
The town of Robe is no more.
Once occupied by hundreds of miners and railroad workers, the town vanished after rains in steep Robe Canyon washed away the train tracks that led to the town. When the precious resources that predicated the town were depleted, the place vanished.
(Like ghost towns? Read about the nearby ghost town of Monte Cristo
The trailhead to Robe Canyon could not be easier to access. You simply pull off the road and onto the shoulder of the Mountain Loop Highway, a few miles outside of the town of Granite Falls.
![](https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC01970.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=28c837bfcf98f6d338c7773f3c4ca33d 320w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC01970.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=a49e39d8e6fe3be284c8e4f0db019ae6 540w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC01970.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=3d6f0f6cfce27a49fb6b62dd5915743b 768w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC01970.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=c489a5c405ed2fcccb4dd955216b9a96 1024w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC01970.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=c9e3c8e22631f87e21445dda2c741916 1200w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC01970.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=4140112337b0892ce86d11137e6cf5af 1440w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC01970.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=2ae0c9f9bf8b394679794e4068f3354f 1920w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC01970.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=f1083485a786fdffbfe164256efd6ebd 2048w)
The trail leads you down a series of steep switchbacks and through a small patch of wetlands to the Stillaguamish River. From there you can trace the train tracks of the Robe Canyon Railroad along the banks of the river as the walls of the canyon rise to the east and the roar of the Stilly fills your ears with white noise.
It’s incredible to think that there was ever a railroad in this narrow and steep canyon. If you hike far enough, you will come to a series of railroad tunnels that were blasted into the rocky sides of the canyons by railroad workers over a century before. Keep your eyes peeled and you’ll also see old bricks, iron railroad tracks, wooden railroad ties, and even the remnants of old train trestles that have been undercut by the raging currents of the Stilly River.
Please don't pass the "do not pass" signs. Things get pretty steep and slippery on the old tracks and the railroad tunnels are prone to cave-ins.
![](https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC02003.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=3b543d0de619535a231e197ab5b80cdb 320w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC02003.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=c16b2dbd9ac1f5e14718002e70cd43f5 540w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC02003.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=0557924915e4c71b25e1c5350a6a6431 768w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC02003.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=c92213ab503379704bb10cba999c46fb 1024w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC02003.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=26636f2c584a8d06740dc062ac7b67a1 1200w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC02003.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=88068e68e70da7f62489e049685c1346 1440w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC02003.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=9bc680c4aa16a905758f7da8377038a3 1920w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/DSC02003.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=79bd798e350e461bb52af53802a6025d 2048w)
At 2.4 miles roundtrip, Robe Canyon makes for an excellent day hike, as long as you can manage the switchbacks coming out of the canyon.
Here’s what else you need to know before you go.
-The trail is narrow on the switchbacks. If you’re in descent, surrender the right of way to hikers coming uphill, as this is proper trail etiquette.
-Stay on the path and watch your footholds near the river. There are some steep rocks and the canyon walls grow steeper as you hike. At several points, there are waterfalls that flow over the path. Aluminum hiking poles are recommended.