A Day In The Park: North Cascades National Park Complex

How often do you get a three-for-one deal in anything, much less a unit of the National Park System? With North Cascades National Park Complex in Washington State, that’s exactly what you are getting - three park units in one: North Cascades National Park, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, and Ross Lake National Recreation Area, all wrapped up in a 700,000-acre (>280,000 hectare) package of true wilderness in which to experience hiking, backpacking, camping, fishing, boating, and scenic driving. These rugged mountains, wild forests, glacially-fed rivers and streams, and turquoise lakes in the Pacific Northwest were set aside by an act of Congress on October 2, 1968, to preserve a landscape of mountain scenery, snowfields, glaciers, alpine meadows, and forests as well as a rich history encompassing the Skagit peoples, loggers, miners, trappers, and settlers – all of whom left their mark on a landscape nicknamed the “American Alps.”

You can take a ferry or seaplane to the isolated community of Stehekin at the head of Lake Chelan and fuel up at one of the best bakeries around before embarking deeper into the wilderness along one of the trails there, including the Pacific Crest Trail. You can reserve a spot for a boat tour arond glacially-fed Diablo Lake in Ross Lake National Recreation Area while learning how the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project utilizes water from this lake to provide power to Seattle. You can paddle or motorboat along the forested shorelines of Ross Lake and Lake Chelan while fishing for trout, salmon, steelhead, and bass. If you feel like stretching your legs, there are 400 miles (643.7 km) of trails to explore. If bicycling is more your style, there are paved roads through the park. There are also climbing, horseback riding, and ranger-led tour activities.

For a scenic road trip, 30 miles (48.3 km) of SR 20 (North Cascades Highway) winds southwest to northeast across the park complex. Exhibits, trails, and view areas offer travelers vistas of mountains, forests, and rivers along the route. Be aware, though, SR 20 is a seasonal highway, closing during the winter months.

Feel like sleeping outside beneath the stars? You can drive in, boat in, or backcountry camp at many sites along lakeshores, in lush green forests, and among steep, craggy mountains. Or, if brick-and-mortar lodging is more to your liking, you can spend the night in Stehekin at the North Cascades Lodge, stay at one of 15 floating cabins at Ross Lake Resort, or book a Basecamp stay with North Cascades Institute.

Featured In The Traveler

Three Days in Stehekin

Let’s say you’ve got 3 days to spend in Stehekin. How do you get there, where do you stay, and what can you do?

To read more about this, go to this page.

Exploring The Parks: A North Cascades “Base Camp” Stay

What comes to mind when you hear the words “base camp?” Tents beneath Mount Everest, perhaps? How about something a little closer to home, bordering the incredible turquoise-hued water of Diablo Lake in Ross Lake National Recreation Area, beneath the mountains of the North Cascades?

To read more, go to this page.

Don’t forget to pack both binoculars and camera. The mountainous scenery is incomparable and you might spy a herd of mountain goats grazing in a meadow, a marmot sunning itself on a large warm rock, or any of 200 species of birds, including bald eagles, hummingbirds, tanagers, and warblers. Perhaps you’ll even come across Bonnie and Clyde, a pair of ravens at Diablo Lake who enjoy unzipping backpacks to see if there are any yummy snacks to sample.

Traveler’s Choice For: Climbing, hiking, boating, photography