A short trip north of downtown reveals a side of Seattle that guidebooks often skim past. At the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, engineering, ecology and local identity quietly intersect.
In the hotel lobby stands my very unofficial tour guide. “Howdy,” she says. “I’m going to take you to see something I think you ought to see. It’s probably a bit off the PR agenda, but I don’t think you can grasp Seattle without it.”
We have never previously met, but my friend from Online wants to take me to Ballard, a suburb that was originally settled by Scandinavians. We are about to descend on the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks.
First impressions of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
This, on the surface of it, sounds like the sort of utterly rubbish attraction you’d be taken to by a well-meaning but clueless elderly relative in their tedious Northamptonshire village.
But these locks are something really quite wonderful. They date back to 1917, when it was decided that a water route was needed to transport timber and other resources to the Puget Sound and then to the Pacific Ocean.
The route eventually decided on for the Lake Washington Ship Canal connected Lake Washington and Lake Union, eventually linking to Puget Sound via Puget Sound.
Five of the best things to do in Seattle
- 🍴 Take a chef-guided food tour of Pike Place Market.
- 🕳️ Discover the hidden streets beneath Pioneer Square on an underground tour.
- ✈️ Go on the Boeing Factory tour and see how planes are made.
- 🚢 See the city from the water on a harbour cruise.
- 🏔️ Take in mountains and waterfalls on a Mt Rainier National Park day trip.
Engineering scale and maritime ambition in Seattle
There are some pretty big boats sat there waiting to go through, which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise seeing as it was the biggest navigational facility in North America when it opened.
This isn’t Panama City, but it’s still a fairly impressive sight; man taming nature and making two very different water levels become one.
But the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks aren’t cuddly-wonderful because some quite big boats go through them. They’re cuddly-wonderful because, well, the clue’s in the name Salmon Bay.
Why salmon matter in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest
If Seattle and the Pacific Northwest could live on one foodstuff alone, it would probably be salmon. Salmon is important round here, and it always has been.
In a surprisingly early twinge of environmentalism, the chaps in charge of the canal realised this too. Watercourses would be altered dramatically, and ecosystems would be changed.
For the salmon, their access to the Cedar River would be cut off; eventually leading to a total wipeout.
The salmon life cycle and an early conservation response
As fish go, salmon are pretty ruddy amazing. When the time is right, they will fight their way back from the ocean to the river in which they were born.
They’ll not eat during the journey up there, they’ll battle upstream, they’ll get jiggy, they’ll give birth and then they’ll die.
It’s an extraordinary life cycle with a heroic end that’s also a beginning. But if the salmon can’t get to the river, the future is bleak. Gone within a generation bleak.
The fish ladder at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
When the locks were built, therefore, something special was built alongside. It’s called a fish ladder, and it’s essentially a series of linked compartments at the canalside.
They gradually creep higher, but each has a decent-sized hole in it that water can get through one way, and salmon can get through the other.
By going through the chain, they can make it up to the lake, and eventually to the river.
Visiting the locks outside salmon season
We arrive out of season. Had we turned up a few weeks later, we could have gawped from inside the aquarium-like viewing area as the fish hurled themselves upstream; flinging themselves towards their final fling.
It’s not to be today. But some things you don’t need to see for yourself.
It just makes you happy to know they exist.
Practical information for visiting the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
| Visitor information | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Ballard, north-west Seattle |
| Opening hours | Open daily; hours vary seasonally |
| Entry cost | Free to visit |
| Salmon viewing | Best during peak migration season |
| Accessibility | Flat paths and accessible viewing areas available |
Nearby attractions in Ballard and north Seattle
- Ballard neighbourhood: Cafés, breweries and Scandinavian heritage.
- Golden Gardens Park: Beachfront views across Puget Sound.
- National Nordic Museum: Exploring Seattle’s Scandinavian roots.
- Lake Union: Houseboats and waterfront walks.
- Discovery Park: Seattle’s largest green space.
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks FAQs
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What are the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks? | A set of navigation locks connecting Lake Washington and Puget Sound. |
| Why are salmon important at the locks? | The locks include a fish ladder that allows migrating salmon to reach their spawning rivers. |
| When is the best time to see salmon? | During the main migration season later in the year. |
| Is there an aquarium-style viewing area? | Yes, visitors can watch salmon pass through the fish ladder. |
| Is the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks visit worthwhile? | Yes, it offers a revealing look at Seattle’s engineering history and environmental priorities. |
More Seattle travel
Other Seattle travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park: Seattle’s best free attraction.
- Guide to the Seattle to Bainbridge Island ferry.
- Booking tips for Chihuly Garden and Glass.
- A practical guide to visiting the Seattle Aquarium.
- How the Seattle weather plays a major part in your experience.
- A practical guide to visiting the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle.
Disclosure: This guide contains affiliate links. Book through them, and I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
