North Cascades National Park: Explore Lakes, Forests and Glaciers

The North Cascades are referred to by some as the “American Alps” because their mountainscapes are reminiscent of the European counterpart, and after you look at some pictures, you will see why. Snow-capped peaks, crystal-clear lakes and endless forests are found in the North Cascades, the section of the Cascade Mountains in the northern part of Washington State.

A good portion of this mountain range falls within North Cascades National Park where there is the possibility to go on numerous hiking trails, take a scenic drive, or a boat ride on the lakes located in the park. Here is a guide to visiting this wonderful park.

An Introduction to North Cascades National Park

This national park encompasses a large portion of the North Cascades mountain range. To be exact, it is located in the northernmost area in the U.S. section of the range, which then continues north with the Canadian Cascades. To the south of the park there are other isolated mountains such as the famous Mount Rainier (another national park in Washington State).

This mountain range is home to the largest glacial system in the contiguous United States, surpassed only by the majestic glaciers in Alaska. However, the park is not a great expanse of ice: far from it. The vast forests of these mountains have the greatest biodiversity out of all U.S. national parks.

The park is divided into three parts: the North Cascades National Park proper (itself divided into the northern and southern zones) and two National Recreation Areas, namely Ross Lake Recreation Area and Lake Chelan Recreation Area. The latter two are the most easily accessible, since most of the park is protected therefore there are no roads or accommodations.

Location and Directions

North Cascades National Park is located in northern Washington State, on the border with Canada. The main road to the park is the North Cascades Hwy (WA-20), which runs through it from west to east.

This long road connects I-5 (the highway that runs along the coast from north to south) with US-97 (which cuts through the center of the state from north to south) at Burlington. Newhalem is a small town in the center of the park and is 60 miles (about 75 minutes) from Burlington and 116 miles (about two hours) from Seattle. Check out our tips for renting a car.

Tickets and Hours

Admission to the park is free. However, you may need to pay to get into certain parts of the park. You can purchase the Northwest Forest Pass, which is required to access the parking lots for trails that do not begin inside the national park, but rather in adjacent areas managed by the Forest Service

This ticket costs $5 per day or $30 per year and can be purchased at all ranger – operated visitor centers in both Washington State and Oregon – two states where there are parks with this kind of arrangement. The America the Beautiful Pass can also be used to access areas covered by the Northwest Forest Pass, so may want to consider purchasing it if you plan to visit multiple national parks.

America the Beautiful Pass information

There is more than one visitor center in the park, and each has different hours:

• North Cascades Visitor Center. The main visitor center, located in Newhalem in the center of the park along the North Cascades Scenic Hwy, is open daily from late May to late September, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Wilderness Information Center. This is the visitor center in Marblemount, which is located on the western side of the park along the North Cascades Scenic Hwy. It is open daily from mid-May to early October, from 7:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Golden West Visitor Center. This visitor center is located at the southern end of the park, overlooking the northeastern shoreline of Lake Chelan in Stehekin. It is open daily from late May to late September, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Other visitor centers and information centers. In addition to the three aforementioned visitor centers, there are other information centers in the areas surrounding the park, such as the Heather Meadows Visitor Center. Details and updated hours can be found on the official website.

Things to Do in the Northern Area of the Park

The North Cascades Hwy travels through the park and divides it into two areas: north and south. The northern area goes from this road (to the south) to the Canadian border (to the north).

The North Cascades Hwy runs mainly through the Lake Ross National Recreation Area and leads to some scenic spots. For convenience’s sake, I will discuss them below as if they were all part of the northern area, although they are located in both the northern and southern areas.

Ladder Creek Falls and Gorge Creek Falls

Scroll down to see all images

Not far from the North Cascades Hwy, there are two waterfalls that are easily accessible, Ladder Creek Falls and Gorge Creek Falls. Both waterfalls are located in narrow gorges, but it is not necessary to hike long trails to reach them. Therefore, they prove to be perfect stops even for those who simply want to drive through the park.

• To get to Ladder Falls, park here, cross the bridge over the Skagit River, and follow the trail. To make the full loop you should calculate about half an hour, but it is also possible to go directly to the falls and back, thus shortening the time a bit.
• Gorge Creek Falls, on the other hand, are even visible from the road that crosses a bridge right in front of the falls. Since you will not be able to stop by car on the bridge, the best way to admire them without rushing is to park here and walk over the bridge (there is a footbridge next to the road).

Diablo Lake Overlook and Ross Lake Overlook

Diablo Lake Overlook is one of the most famous viewpoints in the park. It offers a stunning view of Diablo Lake and the majestic Davis Peak rising above it. To reach the overlook, you will not have to walk far. In fact, there is a parking lot right next to the overlook. Simply drive down the North Cascades Hwy to this point and enjoy the landscape unfolding before you.

Another scenic spot right on the road is the Ross Lake Overlook, located here. The view from here extends over the southeastern branch of Ross Lake, known as Ruby Arm. Although the view is not as spectacular as the view from Diablo Lake Overlook, it is still worth stopping for a few minutes to admire the mountains framing the lake.

Boat or Trimaran Tour on Diablo Lake

Of all the lakes in the park, Diablo Lake is one of the easiest to visit because the North Cascades Byway passes by it and there are trails surrounding the lake. A fascinating way to explore the lake is to join a boat tour. There are mainly 3 tour options. Information about the tours is always updated on the official website.

• Diablo Lake & lunch cruise: 3-hour boat tour including lunch, departing at 10:45 a.m. (summer only)
• Diablo Lake afternoon cruise: 2-hour afternoon boat tour, departing at 2:00 p.m. (summer only)
• Diablo Lake morning cruise: 2-hour morning boat tour, departing at 10:45 a.m. (fall only)

Another possibility to consider is to go on a trimaran. This agile and light boat is similar to the catamaran but has three hulls. It is a 4-hour experience that allows you to immerse yourself in nature and experience the lake in a unique way.

Trimaran on Diablo Lake

Picture Lake Viewpoint

At the northwestern end of the park, there is Mount Shuksan, which at 9,131 ft is not the highest peak in the Cascades, but undoubtedly one of the most scenic. Postcards of the Cascades Mountains capture this iconic peak from the shores of the crystal clear waters of Picture Lake.

Although the mountain lies within the boundaries of the national park, the lake as seen in the image above is outside the park. Picture Lake is located near the Heather Meadows Visitor Center, and to get there you will take WA-542 to this point. The road passes right around the small lake, so no strenuous hiking is necessary to enjoy this magnificent view.

Places to Visit in the Southern Area

The southern part of the park is larger, but most of the sights can only be reached by long hikes. The most easily visited area is the Lake Chelan Recreation Area, which holds some nice surprises.

Washington Pass Overlook

One of the most beautiful viewpoints in the southern part of the park is the Washington Pass Overlook. Officially it is located outside the park area, but nonetheless along the North Cascades Hwy. It is located here and to get to the overlook you have to detour off the road 0.4 miles to a parking lot. From here, it is only a short walk to the viewpoint, where you can admire the magnificent panorama surrounding the incredible Washington Pass. Indeed, you also have a perfect view of Liberty Bell Mountain and the road passing below it.

Lake Chelan: Ferry, Shuttle bus and Hiking

Lake Chelan has a narrow, elongated shape running from north to south. Only its northernmost tip falls within the park, and to be precise, it is the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. Use Stehekin as a starting point. Here you can camp and set out on numerous hikes. In Stehekin you can visit the Golden West Visitor Center and you can buy essentials. The problem is that there are no roads to get to the lake by car.

But fear not. There are ferries that leave from Chelan, the town at the southern end of the park, which can be reached easily, that will take you all the way to Stehekin. You can find updated schedules and prices on the official website. Once in Stehekin, you can get around on foot, by bicycle, or by shuttle bus.

Bicycles can be taken on the ferry, but you can also rent them directly in the town during the summer months. The shuttle bus, on the other hand, goes between Stehekin and High Bridge, where there is one of the campsites furthest northward from the lake. To be precise, High Bridge Campground is the first camping site you will encounter coming from the south that falls within North Cascades National Park and not Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. Updated shuttle bus schedules are found on this website.

Near Stehekin there are several hikes (the main ones are listed here ) and things to see, such as the Buckner Orchard. This historic apple orchard was planted in the early 1900s and later grew from a family farm to an attraction run by park staff. There are more than 350 apple trees, mostly Common Delicious apples, a variety that was once popular but is no longer grown commercially.

Hiking Trails

The best way to appreciate this park is to come wearing comfortable clothes and hiking shoes and venturing along the many trails. There are both short trails and long trails that take many hours to complete. A long list of trails is found on the official website, but below I suggest a few that are doable in a day:

• Trail of the Cedars (starting point). This trail, one of the easiest trails in the park, begins on a beautiful suspension bridge over the Skagit River. It is a 2,800-ft loop that is almost completely flat (about 65 ft in elevation gain). You could say this trail is a good quick introduction to the park.
• Happy Creek Trail (starting point). This trail follows the course of Happy Creek and starts a short distance from the Ross Lake dam. It is 1.2 miles long (2.5 miles round trip) with an uphill elevation gain of 656 ft (round trip).
• Thunder Knob Trail (starting point). For a somewhat longer but not strenuous trail, I recommend this one, 1,6 miles long (3,2 round trip) with about 590 ft of elevation gain. It runs parallel to Thunder Arm, the southern branch of Diablo Lake, and leads to a couple of viewpoints.
• Pyramid Lake Trail (starting point). Pyramid Lake can be reached by a moderate hike: 3,7 miles round trip with 0,2 miles elevation gain. It starts from North Cascades Hwy and climbs to the lake, which is over 0,5 miles m above sea level, below Pyramid Peak.
• Stetattle Creek Trail (starting point). This is a more strenuous trail than the previous ones and takes five or six hours to cover in its entirety, but it is still possible to stop early and turn around. It starts from the road and descends for about 4 miles along the course of Stetattle Creek. First there is a descent and a climb back uphill. The elevation gain is about 1,300 ft if you hike to the end and back (about 8.6 miles).
• Diablo Lake Trail (starting point). Diablo Lake is one of the gems of the park, and on this trail you will fully appreciate it. It runs above the lake parallel to the northern shore of the lake. From the starting point to the bridge crossing the Skagit River you have to walk 3.5 miles. Round trip you will hike a total of 7 miles with almost 2,000 ft of elevation gain.

Scenic Drive

Those unfamiliar with hiking can still enjoy the beauty of North Cascades National Park. Even though WA-20, better known as the North Cascades Hwy, is the only road, it runs through the center of the park following the course of the Skagit River and passes by both Diablo Lake and the lower branch (Ruby arm) of Lake Ross, so it goes by several scenic spots and crosses through the scenic valley in the center of the park.

One suggestion may be to make a loop starting from Seattle. This is the only paved road you can take in the park, but by adding other roads around the park, you can easily create a loop that touches some of the most beautiful areas of the park. Here is a proposal of mine to complete a loop in one or multiple days starting in Seattle.

• Depart early in the morning from Seattle and travel to the North Cascades Visitor Center by taking the North Cascades Hwy: about 2 hours
• From the North Cascades Visitor Center drive to the trailhead leading to Ladder Creek Falls: 5 minutes
• Visit Ladder Creek Falls
• From Ladder Creek Falls to the Gorge Overlook Trail: 5 minutes
• Gorge Overlook Trail (loop trail)
• From Gorge Overlook Trail to Diablo Lake Overlook: 15 minutes
• From Diablo Lake Vista Point to Ross Lake Overlook: 5 minutes
• From Ross Lake Overlook to Washington Pass Observation Point: 30 minutes
• From Washington Pass Observation Point to Winthrop: 35 minutes
• Visit to the Shafer Historical Museum in Winthrop
• Winthrop to Chelan: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Possibility of detour by ferry to Stehekin
• Chelan to Seattle: 3 hours 10 minutes (note: there are two possible routes, with similar durations. One is US, which is more scenic, while I-90 is slightly faster)

The proposed itinerary has ample room for adaptation. If one does not spend too long at individual stops and does not make long hikes, it is possible to complete this loop in a day. Of course, one has to calculate that one spends a lot of time driving, but the landscapes you will traverse are very scenic, so it will be worth it.

If you have time to devote two or more days to this route, my suggestion is to stay overnight in Winthrop or Chelan, so that you can best enjoy everything there is to see. If one wants to go to Stehekin by ferry and also visit the north end of Lake Chelan, then one must inevitably plan for at least one more day, spending one night in Stehekin.

Where to Stay in North Cascades NP (and Nearby)

Within the park, there are not many choices for overnight stays. The main alternatives within the park boundaries are camping and bungalows in some of the campgrounds. However, here are some good accommodations in the surrounding area.

• Mt. Baker Hotel. Located in Concrete, this small three-star hotel proves to be an excellent starting point for visiting the north and central parts of the park.
• Tranquility View – Off Grid Scandinavian Luxury. This is a beautiful vacation home equipped with both a double bed and an additional two sofa beds. It is surrounded by nature, and it is not far from Marblemount.
• River Run Inn. There are various accommodations in Winthrop, but this 3-star hotel guarantees good value for money and is surrounded by a large green park.
• River’s Edge Resort. Also in Winthrop there is this 5-star resort where you can choose different types of cottages, suitable for different numbers of guests.
• Accommodations around Lake Chelan.  Around Lake Chelan, there are countless accommodations along the shores, from small motels to large resorts to beautiful vacation homes. If you plan to visit the southern part of the park or if you plan on taking a drive through the park, this is a good area to stay overnight.

Find Accommodations in the park area