The Skykomish River is a long river in the U.S. state of Washington which drains the west side of the Cascade Mountains in the southeast section of Snohomish County and the northeast corner of King County. The river starts with the confluence of the North Fork Skykomish River and South Fork Skykomish River approximately one mile west of Index, then flowing northwesterly towards Puget Sound. It is joined by the Sultan River and the Wallace River at Sultan. It then meets the Snoqualmie River to form the Snohomish River at Monroe. The Snohomish River continues along the river valley eventually dumping into Port Gardner Bay on Possession Sound (part of Puget Sound). The name "Skykomish" comes from the Northern Lushootseed word /sq'íxʷəbš/, meaning "upriver people", from /q'íxʷ/, "upstream". It is the name of a Southern Coast Salish group. It is sometimes referred to by the nickname "Sky River" or "The Sky". Course The Skykomish River's main stem is long. The length including its headwater tributaries, South Fork Skykomish and Tye River, is . The Skykomish's drainage basin is in area. U.S. Highway 2 and the BNSF Railway are routed to follow the Skykomish River, South Fork Skykomish, and Tye River to Stevens Pass and the Cascade Tunnel. North Fork The headwaters of the North Fork Skykomish River are located in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness near Dishpan Gap along the Pacific Crest Trail. It flows as a small stream off the north slope of Skykomish Peak. The Wild Sky Wilderness protects tributaries and forests adjacent to the North Fork Skykomish, although not the river itself. The river flows generally in a southwestern direction from its source to its mouth. Just before picking up Goblin Creek, the river flows through a short but impressive canyon and within that canyon the river drops over Deer Falls. A short ways down from that, the river flows through an even shorter but very twisted and unusually shaped canyon at Bear Creek Falls. Pass Creek: Leads to Cady Pass. Quartz Creek: Flows from Monte Cristo Peak, leads to Curry Gap. Goblin Creek: Flows from Monte Cristo Peak. West Cady Creek Troublesome Creek: Flows from Monte Cristo Peak, through Blanca Lake, to join the North Fork just below Bear Creek Falls. Silver Creek: Rises near Silvertip Mountain and Poodle Dog Pass, flows by Mineral City, joins North Fork just above Galena (early route to Monte Cristo