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The beginning of sunrise over Diablo Lake at Ross Lake National Recreation Area within the North Cascades National Park Complex / Rebecca Latson
Contributing photographer and writer for the National Parks Traveler since 2012, Rebecca Latson has ventured out to units of the U.S. National Park System, as well as national parks within Canada, on behalf of the Traveler. With her writing and photography, Rebecca authors the Traveler's monthly Photography In The National Parks column as well as various other national park-related articles (hiking, itineraries, photography guides, quizzes) for the Traveler.
Rugged mountains, wild forests, and ice-cold, glacially-fed rivers and streams have earned North Cascades National Park in Washington State the name “American Alps.” Protected along with two national recreation areas (Ross Lake and Lake Chelan) bordering the park and established at the same time, this North Cascades National Park Complex offers visitors almost 700,000 acres (283,280 hectares) of true wilderness experience.
Once the purview of the Skagit peoples, explorers, miners, loggers, trappers, and settlers have each contributed a piece of history to this forested and mountainous landscape. With the advent of motorized travel and the establishment of this national park complex on October 2, 1968, there are plenty of recreational opportunities for exploring some of this American Alps.
Speaking of recreation, you won’t be at a loss for activities within the park. You can take a ferry or seaplane to the isolated community of Stehekin 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 on the turquoise water of glacially-fed Diablo Lake, 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. 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. There are also climbing, horseback riding, and ranger-led tour activities.
For a scenic road trip through the park, 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. SR 20 is a seasonal highway, closing during the winter months.
While there is not much in the way of brick-and-mortar lodging within this huge wilderness expanse of a national park complex, there are some overnight offerings which should be reserved long in advance of your trip. You can read more about this as well as other helpful planning tools in the pages below.
Traveler's Choice For: climbing, hiking, boating, photography
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Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.
Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.
You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.
