Wilkeson is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States.

[5] Much of the property of Wilkeson was purchased by Northern Pacific Railway, with the remaining part of town known as Hope.

In addition to coal, Wilkeson shipped timber and sandstone across Washington.

[4] Although it was known as a ghost town for a time, people began moving to Wilkeson in the late 20th century, many who commute to Enumclaw, Bellevue, and Seattle for work.

Its new sewage treatment plant includes 900 feet of sewer lines replaced by volunteers.

[4] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.47 square miles (1.22 km2), all of it land.

Access to the park is attainable south of the town at an entrance point at the Carbon River.

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 F (22 C).

Wilkeson hosts the National Handcar Races annually on the third Saturday in July.

[11] The town is home to the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, the oldest Orthodox church in Washington state, and the Wilkeson School, a schoolhouse built in 1909 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

There are several existing relics from Wilkeson's mining past, including bee hive coke ovens, a gated mine shaft on Wilkeson Creek and an abandoned concrete coal works.

[12] The 30 remaining coke ovens from the town's early involvement in the coal industry are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.