North Cascades, often referred to as America's Alps, features some of the most rugged wilderness in the United States outside of Alaska. But it’s also a park that can be explored without a tremendous amount of effort.
Stunning Diablo Lake, as seen from the Diablo Lake Overlook along Washington State Route 20, part of North Cascades National Park. First, the national park lodge I booked months ago closed due to expanding wildfires.
Then, the highway that cuts through the park was severed in the middle due to mudslides. Finally, I injured my leg a week before I planned to challenge myself hiking the mountains that are sometimes called the American Alps.The road reopened two weeks before my trip; my leg healed sufficiently that I could tackle some moderately challenging trails.I don’t take full credit for the outcome. I am the first to admit that I got lucky. But luck is sometimes a combination of both good fortune and good planning. I was ready with a Plan B, in case the Cascades were out of reach. Happy to report that the mountains had the welcome mat out.Hiking the Blue Lake Trail in North Cascades National Park North Cascades National Park, two hours northeast of Seattle, is one of three national parks in Washington, and the least known. The other two – Mount Rainier and Olympic – are among the most visited parks in the country. North Cascades, on the other hand, is among the least visited, although that’s partly because some of the most popular areas of the park are actually part of the Ross Lake National Recreation Area and aren’t counted in the park’s total.to the park. But that process hasn’t started yet, and the only animal I saw during my tour was a single mountain goat hanging out near Blue Lake. The park’s peaks are part of the much larger Cascade Range, which stretches from Northern California into Canada’s British Columbia. They’ve been given the nickname the American Alps because of their jagged, snow-covered peaks, forested valleys, and turquoise glacial lakes. There are more than 300 glaciers within the park boundaries – way more than at Montana’s Glacier National Park. Created in 1968, North Cascades National Park encompasses some 505,000 acres, with another 118,000 in adjacent Ross Lake National Recreation Area and 62,000 in Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. In addition, two national forests surround the parkland.My first stop: The park visitor center, along the Skagit River on the western side of the mountains. Here, we picked up park maps and trail recommendations. This park features some of the most rugged wilderness in the United States outside of Alaska. There are more than 400 miles of trails here, including some very difficult paths with significant elevation gains.Washington Highway 20, which cuts through the park, east to west , is as spectacular a roadway as you’ll travel on in the United States. There are numerous scenic overlooks and views along the roadway that don’t require much more than a short walk. Because I had pulled my hamstring a few days before, I canceled plans to hike the ambitious Maple Pass Loop trail, a 7.2-mile path with 2,200 feet of elevation gain. I opted instead for the more moderate Blue Lake Trail, 5 miles out and back, with a spectacular glacial lake as the payoff at the turnaround point. I also stretched my legs on a few other easy trails, including the River Loop Trail, behind the visitor center; the Trail of the Cedars, through an old-growth forest near the old company town of Newhalem; and the 2-mile paved path to Rainy Lake, another gorgeous glacial lake. A word here about these spectacular lakes: The turquoise color comes from “rock flour” that’s created by glaciers grinding against the mountains. The silt is carried by meltwater streams into the lakes – and reacts with light to create the blue-green color. Not content to merely gaze upon the water, my husband and I took a scenic boat ride on the park’s showpiece Diablo Lake, probably the park’s most-photographed natural attraction. Boat tours are offered by the North Cascades Institute in partnership with Seattle City Light, a public utility operated by the city of Seattle. The utility company has operated in the area since the early 1920s – long before it was a national park. The utility continues to operate three dams in the park, which generate a third of Seattle’s power needs. The tour, offered weekends-only in the fall, wasn’t operating on the day of our visit. As an alternative, we opted for a round-trip water taxi ride to and from the Ross Lake Resort, one of two overnight noncamping options inside the park. I also jumped in the water – wowza, was it cold – just to say that I did. There’s a sign near the beach area that warns swimmers about the cold. In my defense: I wasn’t the only one in the water and it was very hot during our days in the park – above 80 degrees despite the elevation.The one complaint I have about North Cascades – you can’t see it all in one day, yet it’s hard to spend the night.I have nothing against camping, although it’s not an option for everyone and it’s particularly difficult when you’re traveling to the park from halfway across the country. My husband and I had planned to spend two nights in the remote Lodge at Stehekin, on the far northern end of Lake Chelan. But intensifying wildfires in August forced the lodge’s closure and the evacuation of the town in late July. The lodge was closed for more than a month. We ended up staying in Winthrop, on the eastern side of the park, a Western-themed town with numerous inns, restaurants and shops. But shuttling back and forth to the park from Winthrop makes for a lot of time in the car. It’s 90 minutes, for example, from the visitors center to Winthrop and more than an hour to Diablo Lake. The fires, meanwhile, continue to burn within and near North Cascades. Indeed, we saw smoke rising in several areas as we explored the park and saw areas set aside for firefighters and their equipment. We never smelled smoke, however, and the air was clear.Heavy rain in August led to mudslides in the park, which covered portions of Highway 20, leading to an extended closure of a 9-mile section of the roadway .But if we weren’t able to drive from one side of the park to the other, I was planning on canceling the entire trip. Fortunately, the highway was cleared and reopened about a week before I left for Washington. My vacation was doomed no more. The mountains were calling. And so I went.The park is located about two hours northeast of Seattle, accessed from the west or the east via scenic Washington Route 20 .The park is open year-round, but most services are available from spring through fall. Route 20 typically closes from mid-November through April.In addition to six campgrounds, there are two overnight lodges inside the park – Ross Lake Resort and the Lodge at Stehekin – both accessible only by boat and/or hiking and both difficult to reserve. 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