In 1882, a wagon road was constructed from Ellensburg over the Wenatchee Mountains to the Miller and Freer’s store which was located at the mouth of the Wenatchee River. They used this road to bring in merchandise for their store. On the Ellensburg side of the mountain, the road was steep and dangerous, and by 1883, the few residents in the new settlement of Wenatchee, along with the help of Ellensburg citizens, made a new road around the bad section which allowed wagons to make it through much easier.

During the fall of 1885, news of a silver discovery in the Okanogan had sparked a rush to the area. Ellensburg Merchants were eager to supply the miners, so they extended the Colockum Road to the Columbia River opposite the southern end of the Moses Coulee. After the road was completed in 1885, a ferry began operation across the Columbia, and it was known as the Moses Coulee Ferry. Freighters from Ellensburg could now supply the miners in the Okanogan. Stagecoaches started running on the road between Ellensburg and the Okanogan. Travelers could also ride the coach to Spokane.

The Snoqualmie Wagon Road met the Colockum Road at Ellensburg and soon this became the main link between the Puget Sound region and the Big Bend Country. This was the first wagon road from Ellensburg to reach the Okanogan and Spokane areas. Ellensburg became the distribution hub for cargo coming from the Dalles. Stages began to take passengers and mail from Ellensburg to Badger Mountain, Okanogan, Conconully, Ruby, Coulee City and Spokane. In 1888, the railroad reached Coulee City and the stages made a connection there.

Traveling west from the ferry, the route followed Palisades Road eastward to Sutherland Canyon, where in 1888, the road forked. At this point, in 1888, the left fork took you to Badger Mountain, and the right fork continued up Moses Coulee toward Okanogan City and Coulee City.

Today, this old road follows Palisades Road to it’s end, and from there, follows 24-NW Road up the Three Devil’s Grade to Rattlesnake Springs. After leaving the springs, the road continued in a NE direction for about 4 miles to where it intersects with Lt. Merriam’s Military Road between Chelan and White Bluffs. The route follows this road to McCartney Springs in the Moses Coulee. This is where the road forks again. The left fork continues on Lt. Merrriam’s road to Camp Chelan. The right fork takes you up the Moses Coulee about 7 miles to Sulfur Springs where it leaves the valley and continues eastward toward Coulee City and Spokane.

In 1892, a steamer would meet the Ellensburg stage at Rock Island and would take passengers up the Columbia to Wenatchee, Oroville, and the mouth of the Okanogan River. A year later in 1893, the Colockum Road began to see a decline in traffic because of the Great Northern Railroad. The steamers ended about 1915 with the coming of the Sunset Highway.

In 1915, the Colockum road was strongly considered for becoming the Ellensburg - Wenatchee link of the Sunset Highway. Due to the roughness and steep grades, this idea was scrapped and the Vantage route was selected instead.

This new route started from Ellensburg and traveled east to Vantage, and then across the Columbia River by ferry. The route then continued north to Quincy, and then backtracked westward to cross the Columbia again at the Moses Coulee Ferry. After this ferry crossing, the traveler followed the Colockum Road (now a section of the Sunset Highway) north to Wenatchee. In 1922 Blewett Pass was paved with concrete on a new road over that pass. The Sunset Highway was then re-routed over Blewett Pass making the Colockum Road obsolete.

Today the Colockum Road is a very popular off road vehicle destination. There are many videos posted to YouTube for those who are thinking of making the journey or for those who dare not attempt it.