Northern State Ghost Town

Formerly known as the Northern State Mental Hospital or simply as the Northern State Recreation Area on Google Maps, this historic site in Sedro-Woolley is a must see! It truly feels like walking through a “ghost town” and we definitely got the tingles walking through some of the old run down buildings.

The buildings were once home to the largest facility for the mentally ill in Washington State. The structures here are up to 111 years old, dating back to the establishment of the facility in 1909. Cool!

In my early twenties (circa 2002), I worked at a pizza shop in Sedro-Woolley for a couple of years. I remember the local teenagers at the time telling tales of visiting this place and daring each other to be locked up in the old rooms that were partially accessible. Scary!

This would have been before the state cleaned things up and made the “park” publicly accessible.

Now the park is clear for visitors, is quite expansive, and features a lot of trails and buildings to explore. The trails are pretty mellow and easy enough for anyone looking to get some fresh air and exercise. A great place to take your dog for a walk and check out some unique scenery among the old buildings.

Check out our gallery below. The lighting we had on our visit was just perfect for that “ghost town” vibe 😀