North Cascades National Park is one of Washington state’s (and America’s) most underrated and least frequented national parks. What the park lacks in visitors it more than makes up for in beauty and unique attractions. It is not for the faint of heart as many of the best views, hikes and activities require some significant trekking.
Geography
The park is located south of the Fraser Valley and is about a 3 hour drive from Vancouver, BC. It is divided into a northern and southern area consisting of more than 500,000 acres of lush forests, vibrant glacial lakes and seemingly forever reaching mountain peaks. The park is open all year round; however, the main access road, State Route 20, is often closed at various sections throughout the park due to weather conditions. Some of the highest peaks in the park include Goode Mountain (2,810 m) and Mount Shuksan (2, 783 m).
In terms of amenities, restaurants and (non-camping) accommodations the park is pretty sparse. If you are heading in from Vancouver or Seattle, after Sedro-Woolley, there isn’t much aside from a few gas stations and a handful of truck-stop style diners. Once you actually enter the park, there are no gas stations at all so make sure you fill up in Marblemount (this is also where you need to visit the ranger station for a pass if you plan to do any backcountry camping). A couple stops of interest along the way include Birdsview Brewing Company (variety of local beers) and Cascadian Farm (fresh berries, organic honey, ice cream and other treats).
Once in the park, the largest town is Newhalem (technically an unincorporated community) where you can find a small general store with essential supplies and a pretty good selection of food, as well as a really nice Visitors Center.
History
Although the park was established in 1968, there was significant activity in the area long before that date. Mining and logging activity began as early as 1850, and in 1920 the Seattle City Light company started the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project. This project produced the three iconic dams (Ross, Diablo and Gorge) that can be found throughout the park. These dams produce more than 711 MW of power and provide Seattle with ~20% of its power supply.
The best way to relive the past in the park is to walk around Newhalem and Diablo. Although there are some serious ghost time vibes around these towns, they are still inhabited by some of the dam workers. Newhalem has several exhibits and tours that are provided to visitors of the area. There is also the Gorge Powerhouse which has a small exhibition inside providing more details on the science and history behind the powerful dams. For a complete list of activities check out the following pamphlet. Another thing we would recommend you don’t miss is the Ladder Creek Falls and Gardens trail, a short trail that takes you through some more of the history in the area.
Activities
As mentioned, there are only a few sites that are easily accessible by car: Gorge Overlook trail, Diablo Lake Vista Point and Diablo Dam. On a nice day, they all have pretty amazing vistas of the turquoise lakes below.
Our favorite activity in the park is to spend the day on Ross Lake. We recommend bringing your own boat or renting one from Ross Lake Resort. With a motorboat you can easily make it around the entire lake in a few hours. Some hidden spots to check out are Ruby Arm (great for swimming — it even has a hidden rope swing), Devils Creek and several small waterfalls.
Ross Lake is unique in that a portion of it is located in Canada (accessed via logging service roads from Hope, BC) and you can actually cross the border by boat or on foot very easily with no border security or patrol.
Some hikes we would recommend that can be done in a day as long as you start in the early morning include:
Hidden Lake Lookout - Accessed via Forest Service Road #1540 off of Cascade River Road from Marblemount
Sourdough Mountain - Accessed via Diablo Street off of Highway #204
Desolation Peak - Accessed via boat from Ross Lake
Camping
There is a wide variety of camping option within the North Cascades including several front and back country options. If you want to take your RV up or just prefer the amenities of a campground there are 4 to choose from:
Gorge Creek - This currently does not have a registration system and is free
Hozomeen - Must be accessed by boat or through Canada
We found the campgrounds a little bit crowded and close to the highway, but otherwise very clean and well maintained. The way to really experience the park is to spend a few nights in the back-country. There are over 50 sites in the park ranging from hike-in to boat-in entry. You can learn more about the permit policy here.
Our absolute favorite campground is Spencer’s on Ross Lake, as it is tucked away with little wind and spectacular views. The campground itself only has two sites but each is equipped with a picnic table, bear box and shared boat dock and vault toilet. Many of the boat-in campgrounds offer similar accommodations.
North Cascades National Park is certainly not without its quirks, but it does truly offer a unique and “road less traveled” experience. Match that with the natural beauty of the area and you will have something almost impossible to find in any other park. As always we would love to hear your experiences in the park or any questions you might have in the comments section below!
Happy adventuring,
Slade
