The site of the Oso landslide is one we have visited on a couple of occasions, and I have posted some images of the initial memorial that was created. At that time, they were looking for donations to put together a more permanent memorial. To be honest, I don’t think I figured that they would be able to do much, but I was very wrong. They now have built a substantial exhibit to remember the events, the town that was wiped out and the 43 people that died that day.

There is an entrance area which is nicely laid out and then there is a trail that walks through the gardens. Everything is amid grounds that have been populated with wildflowers so, while it has been carefully laid out, it has a very natural feel to it. There are exhibits that talk about the landslide itself along with the hosting of the area and the process for recovery. The most important parts, though, are the individual memorials.

The stories of what happened to people that day are heartbreaking. Those who died and those who survived and all covered along with what happened to them all. Each of the victims is remembered on steel panels set into the ground with the panel reflecting the person or people in their own individual style. The inscriptions and artworks are a reflection of the people they recollect. Some of them are sad to see and others will make you cry. It is a very sad thing to experience but it is also done in such a lovely way that you don’t feel totally hopeless.

The road through Oso takes you up to the North Cascades Highway so it is not totally unlikely that you will find yourself up there, but it is out of the way for most people. If you do end up in this part of Washington, I would definitely recommend you make time to stop off and visit. We ended up spending way more time there than we had anticipated and I am glad we did.