It’s in a place where the Green River carved a deep gorge through 50 million years of geologic history, revealing 18 coal seams. It’s also a site of amazing scenic beauty that began attracting visitors even before coal mining in nearby Franklin drew to a close in the early 1920s. And where mossy trees overlook a stunning river flowing 150 feet below a single-lane bridge built more than a century ago. The single-lane Green River Gorge Bridge is located about halfway between Black Diamond and Cumberland.
This circa-1970s photo comes from a postcard, the back of which reads: “Green River Gorge Resort, 29500 Green River Gorge Rd., Enumclaw, Washington 98022, (206) 886-2302. Located at the center of this spectacular 8-mile-long Green River Gorge, this 100-year-old resort has camping, RV hookups, hot tubs, picnicking, fishing, and miles of hiking trails past rushing rapids, waterfalls, and deep emerald, green pools. This true natural wonder, which is less than an hour drive from Seattle or Tacoma, is located off Hwy. 169 between Enumclaw and Black Diamond.”
The approximate date was inferred from research by JoAnne Matsumura, an Issaquah historian.
In 1977, Jim and Linda Carter purchased the property. Jim was a Buckley native and one-time abalone diver off Catalina Island in California. With his wife, Linda, they started a business called Carter Lift Bags for underwater salvage equipment. A few years after acquiring the Green River Gorge property, they left the resort business but continued to use the 1925 building, featured in last week’s column, for stitching together lift bags. They also rent parking and trailer spaces around their property, and provide water piping for those filling jugs with spring-fed water.
Access to the Gorge on both sides of the Green River is controlled by the Green River Gorge Trust, operated by the Carters. A $5 fee entitles patrons to park and access the steep-walled Gorge through a series of stairs and trails to the river’s edge.
Be careful though, the Green River’s cold water, swift rapids, and hidden rocks present extremely dangerous conditions, particularly in the fast-flowing spring months when melting snow swells the river’s currents. Over the decades, the Green River Gorge has claimed about one drowning life per year, most of them in the months of May and June.
