Devils Canyon Tunnel - Kahlotus, Washington - Abandoned Train Tunnels on Waymarking.com

The north portal of the Devils Canyon Tunnel near Kahlotus, Washington.
The Devils Canyon Tunnel (Tunnel 17) was part of the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway (SP&S), which was completed between Portland and Spokane in 1909. The tunnel is 2,220 feet long. The SP&S became part of Burlington Northern (BN) in 1970, and BN abandoned this line during 1987 and rerouted traffic onto a parallel former Northern Pacific line. The Washington State Parks acquired the right of way in 1991 and established the Columbia Plateau Trail State Park along the route.
Prior to the great Ice Age floods from glacial Lake Missoula, the Palouse River followed the route of the Washtucna Coulee westward from Washtucna to Connell and then south along the Esquatzel Coulee to the Pasco area where it joined the Columbia River. During the Ice Age floods the huge volumes of water entering the Palouse drainage were so large that east of Washtucna waters spilled southward over a divide into the Snake River. The flood waters down cut over 800 feet to establish a new channel for the Palouse River. Kahlotus is located in the Washtucna Coulee and at this location additional Ice Age floodwater spilled over the divide and carved the deep narrow Devils Canyon. But the head of the canyon did not down cut to the level of Kahlotus so the railroad had tunnel through the final obstacle to reach Kahlotus and the Washtucna Coulee.

Construction: Unknown Condition: Good Rail Status: No Current status: Recreation Path Original Use: Passenger Train The "Other End": N 46° 37.903 W 118° 33.552 Tunnel Length: 2,200.00 Suggested Parking Area: N 46° 38.323 W 118° 33.199 Terrain: Website: [Web Link] Date Built: 1909 Date Abandoned: 1987

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