Japanese Heritage Sites on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Monte Cristo mining camp, August 24-25, 2012 | Iron Goat trail, September 8, 2012

Discover the uncovered heritage of early Japanese American pioneers. Starting in Seattle, participants travel by bus, hike at the sites, and then return to Seattle. Space is limited.

Explore the Legacy — This summer participants will explore the legacy, historic landscape and experience of Japanese pioneers whose labor was instrumental in the development of the American West. Immerse yourself in forest settings, and witness the remains of their labor. Discover a new frontier in the American West.

Experience History — Participants will take this groundbreaking journey to historic and archaeological sites in Washington on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Includes informal discussion and on-the-ground exploration with forest archaeologist and field experts.

Registration for Iron Goat hike extended to August 31
Registration Overview (PDF)    Registration Form (DOC)

For more information on how to reserve your spot the Monte Cristo or Iron Goat hike, contact tours@wingluke.org, (206) 623-5124 x.133. This project is made possible through a partnership between the Wing Luke Museum and USDA Forest Service, with additional partners DENSHO and the Nisei Veterans Committee Foundation.

Walk among preserved historic structures along the Great Northern Railway helped built by Japanese American railway workers.

Monte Cristo, August 24-25, 2012
With the discovery of gold and silver bearing ores in 1889, Monte Cristo became the center of a mining boom. Thousands of miners, business-men, laborers and settlers poured into the rugged Cascade Mountains. A railway line was built to move the massive ore and concentrates to the nearby developing city of Everett. While nature has taken back much of the townsite, vestiges still remain, including a large mechanism to turn railway cars around at the site. Archaeologists have marked out areas of Monte Cristo, including quarters for Japanese American labor crews that built and serviced the railway line. This tour requires ankle-supported, sturdy hiking boots. Hike is approximately 8 miles round-trip.

Iron Goat, September 8, 2012
The Iron Goat Trail follows the abandoned Great Northern Railway with easy grades, accessible trails, beautiful views of surrounding mountains, educational interpretive signs and comfortable trailside benches. The Great Northern route was the best engineered of the transcontinental railways. The project employed nearly 800 workers, mostly immigrants, including many Japanese. This tour is accessible to all age ranges and those with limited mobility. Please wear sturdy walking shoes.

Chinese Heritage Tour of the American West
July 20-26, 2010

Explore the uncovered heritage of early Chinese American pioneers - how they lived, worked, socialized, built communities and settled the American West - on this 7- day tour. Our tour starts in Seattle, traveling by bus through historic sites and archaeology digs in Oregon, Idaho and Nevada.

Visit the Tour Blog to view pictures, video and posts from the trip!