On the gulch of Coal Creek was the Strain Company Strip Mine, where a seam of lignite coal 16 feet thick was uncovered on the hillside. The seam lay a few feet below the surface, embedded in solid rock, and was taken out by power shovels and delivered by trucks to the washer at Renton. Coal Creek Park is the site of this operation, which sits within the Newcastle city limits. It offers visitors hiking trails and waterfalls, with historic sites marked along the way.