Conservation Groups Weigh In on Rebuilding Stehekin Road

Washington Wild and North Cascades Conservation Council coordinated a letter signed by five conservation organizations urging the North Cascades National Park to use common sense when considering rebuilding a key washed out road in the scenic community of Stehekin.

Located at the north end of Lake Chelan in the North Cascades, Stehekin is one of the most isolated places in the lower 48 states. There are no roads in and out of the town—it is only accessible on foot, or by ferry. Only about 80 people live there year-round.

Massive flooding in December 2025, exacerbated by destabilized sediment on the mountain hillsides from the 2024 Pioneer Fire, destroyed several pieces of essential infrastructure in the town. A newly-constructed wastewater treatment plant and a boat landing were leveled, and parts of the Stehekin Valley Road and Company Creek Road were destroyed.

The letter references an email from the National Park Service to Stehekin area residents that presented the reconstruction of Company Creek Road within the active channel of the Stehekin River as a legitimate planning option. Rebuilding a road within an active river channel would be inconsistent with NPS Management Policies and would not protect the investment of a rebuilt road from being washed out again by the river. Washington Wild supports rebuilding the key infrastructure for the community of Stehekin but not within the river channel.

The five organizations that signed the letter included North Cascades Conservation Council. Washington Wild, North Central Washington Audubon Society, WildEarth Guardians and the Washington Chapter of the Sierra Club.