Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon is not only Skagit County’s largest town, it is a gateway to many of the experiences that make the Northwest such a special place.

The wild and scenic Skagit River, teeming with salmon, runs through the heart of this eclectic town, which embraces its farmland as strongly as its quaint downtown streets and rambling neighborhoods, both old and new.

In summers when the salmon run is big, those strolling on the river revetment can see the Skagit’s banks dotted with anglers.

Sitting in the valley between the Cascade Mountains and the San Juan Islands, Mount Vernon itself has much to offer.

Come in the spring to see the breathtakingly colorful fields of daffodils, tulips and irises. Most of the world-famous annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival takes place in Mount Vernon during the entire month of April.

Summer is festival time, with the Skagit Valley Highland Games and Celtic Festival at Edgewater Park, the Skagit River Shakespeare Festival in mid-summer, and the Skagit County Fair each August at the county fairgrounds. The summer weather is almost always just right, and a farmers market featuring Skagit Valley produce and hand-made wares is offered every Saturday downtown right next to the river.

In October, the annual Skagit Valley Festival of Family Farms tour offers guests an inside look at the area’s rural side of life.

Any time of year, stroll along the streets of downtown to sample the diverse selection of locally owned restaurants and shops—from antiques to boutiques. One special feature is the historic Lincoln Theatre, built in 1926 to showcase vaudeville performers and silent movies.

For those heading north or south to experience more of the Northwest, Mount Vernon is a stop for the Amtrak Cascades passenger train. The new Skagit Station was built in 2004 and also offers stops for Skagit Transit and Greyhound buses.

Mount Vernon just celebrated its 120th birthday. Its founders arrived in the 1870s, and started homesteading the town just above a 3-mile-long log jam so firmly placed that trees were growing on top. A handful of farmers started pulling those logs out by hand with crosscut saws and horses until there was a gap big enough for a small boat to get through. It took two years of clearing before the first steamer, the Wenat, was able to make it past and into Mount Vernon in 1878.

It took many more years of clearing to remove the jam completely.

Mount Vernon incorporated in 1890, the year after Washington gained statehood. Named after George Washington’s home in Virginia, Mount Vernon’s population was 443 at the time.
Today, the city is home to about 30,000 people.

DEMOGRAPHICS AND CITY FACTS
Population: 26,232 in 2000, an estimated 30,150 in 2008
Persons younger than 5: 8.4%
Persons younger than 18: 29%
Persons 65 and older: 12.5%
High school graduates: 78.8%
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 18.6%
Home ownership rate: 57.3%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting Division

PARKS
HILLCREST PARK
1717 South 13th St.
As a 30.75-acre park situated in the southern portion of Mount Vernon, Hillcrest borders 13th and Blackburn streets. Its facilities include a softball field, soccer field, four lighted tennis courts, two lighted outdoor basketball courts, picnic areas, playground equipment, walking trails, a rental gazebo, barbecue pits, community lodge and rental garden and a rental covered picnic area.

EDGEWATER PARK
600 Behrens Millet Road
Located in West Mount Vernon, this 66-acre park is situated along the scenic Skagit River. Facilities include four regulation softball fields, 25 camping sites (for tournament camping only) and a public boat launch.

LITTLE MOUNTAIN PARK
Little Mountain Road
At 480 acres, it is the city’s largest and most impressive park. It is located near the city limits in southeast Mount Vernon. A 1.5-mile paved road leads to the top of the hill, ending at an elevation of 934 feet. From there, two covered viewpoints provide onlookers with a spectacular view of the Skagit Valley, the San Juan Islands, Olympic Mountains and the county’s seasonal tulip fields. The park also provides numerous hiking trails and serves as an excellent hang-gliding location.

LIONS PARK
501 Freeway Drive
This popular 1.6-acre park is located on the east bank of the Skagit River near downtown Mount Vernon. Facilities include sheltered and unsheltered picnic areas, playground equipment and a recreational vehicle dump station.

SHERMAN ANDERSON BALLPARK
1501 Cleveland St.
Located on Cleveland Street half a mile south of downtown Mount Vernon, Sherman Anderson is a 3.4-acre park frequently used to hold baseball competitions, the annual Skagit County Fair and community events. It has a concession stand and grandstand seating.

15TH STREET PLAYFIELD
North 15th St.
This 5-acre neighborhood park sports two Little League baseball fields, two youth soccer fields and playground facilities.

BAKERVIEW PARK
3101 East Fir St.
Bakerview is a spacious 39-acre park located in Mount Vernon’s northeast quadrant. Facilities include four Little League fields, three soccer fields, four basketball courts and two sand volleyball courts. It also has a skateboard playground with four ramps and several trick rails and a roller hockey area. Other amenities include outdoor barbecues, children’s playgrounds, picnicking areas, a disc golf course, restrooms and concessions.

KIWANIS PARK
Corner of Broadway and 18th Street
This 8-acre neighborhood and water park is sponsored and partially purchased by the three Mount Vernon Kiwanis clubs.

For additional information about Mount Vernon parks, call (360) 336-6213.