North Cascades NP NPS Website; North Cascades NP Local Website; Ross Lake NRA NPS Website; Ross Lake NRA Local Website
WHAT IS IT?Over 500,000 acres of impenetrably steep mountains, the North Cascades NP, bisected by the Washington Route 20, the Skagit River and three artificial lakes, collectively administered as Ross Lake NRA.
Lake Chelan NRA is also a part of the NP complex. That site is an isolated mountain Eden, accessible only via a 55-mile slow ferry ride up the lake from Chelan, Wash. We did not go there.
BEAUTY (8/10)
They bear the names Terror, Damnation, Fury, Formidable, Forbidden and Despair. Others are called Magic, Triumph, Challenger, Majestic and Prophet. They stand together, serving as vengeful sentries to an impermissible world. They rarely allow even a sneaking glance from road or by trail. Only the daring will ever see them from close range and be allowed to recline in their shadow. They are the North Cascades and for all but a few, they exist in only our imagination and our dreams.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (3/10)
Mountains and landscapes too steep and too rugged for loggers, can you believe it? We can’t either. The Skagit River did prove exploitable for her natural resources. Three dams have created three artificial lakes and, according to the Seattle Light exhibits, provide the Emerald City with 28% of its power needs.
CROWDS (7/10)
We encountered friendly folks at the Visitors Center, the Goodell Creek campground and on the short easy trails that surround both. The quiet serenity of the campground was welcome after trying to sleep through raucous weekend nights in Olympic NP campgrounds.
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (1/5)The first line of the Visitor Center film describes the North Cascades as rugged, remote, impossibly steep and inaccessible. The forests, scenery and wildlife diversity of the North Cascades remain because turn-of-the-century loggers could not get to them. Problem is, the modern day visitor faces the same problems.
Few trails allow even a cursory foray into the mountains. Most backcountry trails require three-day hikes just to get to the mountains and glaciers. The Cascade Pass Trail to the Sahale Glacier is the lone exception. This hike is a do-able but extremely strenuous overnight hike (permit required). The trail ascends over 4,000 feet. Your reward is camping next to a glacier that overlooks the Cascades. We saw the pictures, oh my heavens. We believe the 2004 National Parks Pass Photo was taken here, the one with the Mountain Goat.
We wanted to do this hike and permits were available. Problem was that the road leading to the trailhead is narrow, steep and unpaved for over 15 miles. We asked a Ranger if our low clearance Nissan would be OK. His answer was less than affirming. Maybe next time.
The two other day hike suggestions we received from Rangers, the Thornton Lakes Trail and the Sauk Mountain Trail (actually in the National Forest) both required long unpaved sojourns to the trailheads. We passed on both.
The moral is if you want to experience even the most basic North Cascades experience, you need a four-wheel drive vehicle. Ultimately, the Park’s inaccessibility defined our visit.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (5/5)
The framed North Cascades panorama photos had us salivating. The book selection is terrific; a North Cascades hiking guidebook is probably a necessity when planning an extended visit. There are nearly 100 maps for sale of the region, they too a necessity. What most appealed to us, however, were the bookstore’s eccentric items: locally made bird mobiles (!), a T-shirt reading May the Forest Be With You and compasses, in case you forgot where you were. OK, we lie, what most appealed to Michael were the maps.
COSTS (3/5)Because Washington Route 20 runs through the Parks, there is no entry fee. However, parking costs $5 per day; purchase the Northwest Forest Pass. If you have the National Parks Pass just display it on your window, your parking fees are waived. Campsites cost $10-12 per night and backcountry permits are free.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (4/5)
The Parks have three well-staffed Visitor Centers, all located along Route 20. A stop at the Sedro-Wooley Ranger Station is invaluable. The building serves not only the North Cascades NPs but also the many National Forests that surround the vast Park.
We talked to a NF Ranger. He explained that best views of the National Park are actually enjoyed outside of the Park. The Mountains themselves are too inaccessible. He reasoned that if we want to see the Park from our car or by short day hikes, we should travel to the Mount Baker area. We regret not heeding his advice. That Ranger Station is located just 3 miles east of Interstate 5, in the town of Sedro-Wooley,
The North Cascades Wilderness Info Center stands near Marblemount, about 30 miles east of Interstate 5. You must pick up your backcountry permits here. A third Visitor Center is in Newhalem, in what is geographically the center of the Park.
TOURS/CLASSES (7/10)
The Newhalem Visitor Center has a fun, interactive set of Museum displays. The exhibits are arranged by the ecological zones found in the Park that gradually change as the altitude grows steeper. TV monitors, activated by motion detectors, display pictures of the various zones.
Gab fell asleep during the new-agey Park intro film but quickly revived during the short board walked Sterling Munro Trail. The Munro Trail is a fun intro to bird watching test. All-weather cardboard bird photographs lurk in the surrounding trees. You can try to locate them with your binocs, ID the feathered friend and see if you are right. Exhibit panels reveal their identity and give a brief background. We had lots of fun and the trail led to a dramatic mountain view.
We picked up a North Cascades Institute seminar book at the Visitor Center. Their programs seem very interesting.
FUN (4/10)
North Cascades NP holds more glaciers, 700+, than any National Park outside of Alaska; more than even Glacier NP in Montana. Sadly, we did not get to see any. We spent much of our time here frustrated because we could not experience our mysterious and unapproachable surroundings. The pictures look beautiful but I want to see the mountains.
Our disappointed abated when we staked a wonderful campsite, ten feet from a private perch next to the rushing Skagit River. A warm, starry, silent night followed.
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (3/10)Not if you are a casual tourist. There is no auto tour at North Cascades NP and no ways to experience the mountains easily while in the Park. The Ross Lake NRA corridor is scenic but artificial lakes are a psychological step down from the hundreds of glacially formed lakes that lurk in the Park’s highlands.
If you have a sturdy vehicle, the Cascade Pass Trail to the Sahale Glacier looks to offer one of the lower 48’s most beautiful and awesome views. We can only guess at the rich rewards North Cascades NP offers its hardy visitors. OK, we did guess and they seem too wonderful to believe.
TOTAL 45/80
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