Alpine (Skagit County)

Washington's ghost towns are mill towns and mining camps in country so green the forest is already taking them back.

Alpine was a village located on the shores of Lake Cavanaugh, in Skagit County, Washington. A very brief reference to it is found in An Illustrated History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties, by Elizan M. Wallace, published by Interstate Publishing Company, 1906 (pages 469–470). An in-depth book about Alpine and the settlers of Lake Cavanaugh, who began arriving in 1890, was published and copyrighted in 2009: Alpine On The Lake, by Allan Ray Wenzel, published by Classic Day Publishing, Seattle, Washington, 2009 (ISBN 978-1-59849-079-4, Library of Congress Number 2009938776).

The on-the-ground condition of Alpine (Skagit County) is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Alpine (Skagit County) is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.