Melmont Townsite

Tour the remains of Melmont, a long abandoned Carbon River coal town.
Total Distance: 2.5 miles
Total Ascent: 100ft
Highest Point: 1360ft
Difficulty: Easy
Our Hiking Time:
Required Permit: None
To get there, take I-5 South to I-405. From I-405 take SR 167 south toward Auburn. In 20 miles take the SR 410 Exit toward Sumner/Yakima. Follow SR 410 for 12 miles to SR 165. Take a right and continue on SR 165 for about 10 miles through Carbonado to the Fairfax Bridge. A small gravel turnout on the far side of the bridge provides parking. Hike back across the bridge and head toward the rock wall. Hop the guardrail to find a rough path down to the railroad grade. View Google Directions >>
If you’re looking for a short stroll through Washington’s history, Melmont is a good choice. Other than the short drop down to the railroad grade, which could be tricky for some very young hikers, the trip out to the town site is very easy. At the same time, there is not much in the way of serious hiking. You can extend your hike a bit to push down to the river, but other than that, we are not sure there is much more to see. We recommend this hike for those interested in ghost towns or those looking for a quick winter adventure.

There's a lot more to Melmont Townsite, and you can learn all about it in Hiking through History Washington: Exploring the Evergreen State's Past by Trail. You'll find a trail map, route descriptions, history, and more for this and many other hikes throughout the State. Help support hikingwithmybrother.com and the work we do by picking up a copy!