The tour passes through the Skokomish Indian Tribe Reservation. Despite being established by treaty in 1855, the nearly 5,000-acre reservation has witnessed non-tribal development, including power projects constructed by the City of Tacoma, which has created difficulties for the tribe. In response, the Skokomish, or “Big River People,” filed land claims through the court system and were awarded $374,000 in 1965, with the money used for the purchase of a fish processing plant and tribal housing.

The name Skokomish means “river people” for the river which is the largest stream of fresh water in the region. It is related to the term Skaw-kaw-mish with the “kaw” meaning fresh water.