The North Cascades have long been known as the North American Alps. Characterized by rugged beauty, this steep mountain range is filled with jagged peaks, deep valleys, cascading waterfalls and glaciers. North Cascades National Park Service Complex contains the heart of this mountainous region in three park units which are all managed as one and include North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas. Each area offers different experiences and contains wilderness. Over 93% of the park complex is managed as the Stephen T. Mather Wilderness, which was established by Congress in 1988. The wilderness area was named in honor of the first director of the National Park Service.
Long before North Cascades National Park Service Complex was established in 1968, this area was a home. Not only to an astounding diversity of plants and animals, it was the home to Native Americans and a trade gateway between the Plateau tribes to the east and the Coast Salish tribes to the west for over 8,000 years. More recent settlers came in the nineteenth century to establish homesteads in places like the Stehekin Valley, or to mine elusive minerals – like gold, or to trap furbearing animals such as the beaver, otter, and marten. Now it is preserved as a national park for all to enjoy.
Hiking
There are
386 miles of maintained trails, many taking you steeply to absolutely breathtaking alpine scenery, and over 200 designated backcountry campsites.Lower elevation trails are usually accessible from early April through mid-October. Higher elevation trails (which is most of the North Cascades backcountry), however, do not open until mid-July and remain accessible through late September.
Permits are required for all overnight stays in the backcountry. Camping is only permitted at
designated campsites or in a cross-country manner (which requires you to be more than 1/2 mile (.83 km) from trails and more than one mile (1.7 km) from designated campsites). Party size is limited to 12 (6 in cross-country zones) and campfires are prohibited in subalpine areas. Pets are not allowed on any trail in North Cascades National Park except the Pacific Crest Trail, where they must be on a leash. Leashed pets are allowed on trails within Ross Lake and Lake Chelan NRA.
There is a significant difference between westside and eastside climates, with the westside receiving higher precipitation year-round, resulting in cloudier and cooler weather. Eastside forests, in the Cascade rainshadow, have more sunshine, higher temperatures, and noticeably less vegetation.
It should be noted that the North Cascades is bear country with both black and grizzly bears present, though the latter are very rare. All precautions for traveling in bear country should be carefully followed to avoid an unpleasant encounter and to ensure that bears do not become accustomed to obtaining food from people.
Trail - Location - Comments
Shadow of the Sentinels - Baker Lake - Universal access loop trail through old-growth forest. (USFS)
Rock Shelter - Newhalem - Universal access on boardwalk .25 miles ending at a viewing platform in front of a large, overhanging boulder used as a campsite at least 1,350 years ago.
Sterling Munro - Newhalem - Short universal access trail on boardwalk with views of Pickett Range.
To Know a Tree - Newhalem
Trail of the Cedars - Newhalem - Universal access.
Thunder Woods - Colonial Creek
Happy Creek Forest - North Cascades Highway - Universal access.
Rainy Lake - North Cascades Highway - Paved 1 mile universal access trail to Rainy Lake (USFS)
Trail of the Obelisk - Hozomeen
Imus Creek - Stehekin
McKellar Cabin - Stehekin
Rainbow Mist - Stehekin
A Gateway to the
Wilderness
JOURNEY DEEP INTO THE NORTH CASCADES to the headwaters of Lake Chelan. Fronted by one of America's largest lakes, edged by wilderness and surrounded by tall mountain peaks, Stehekin is a remote community connected to the rest of the world only by boat, plane, or trail.
Left: Head of Lake Chelan, Right: Rainbow Falls
The voyage to Stehekin is part of the experience. You are traveling from the hustle of the modern world to a place where there are no shopping malls, movie theaters or internet cafes. Here, a connection to the land can still be felt.
Whether you enjoy boating, fishing, camping, backpacking, hiking, bicycling, horseback-riding, rafting, kayaking, or simply lounging at the edge of the lake, there are plenty of ways to seek adventure or relax.
Stehekin serves as a hub to explore the 61,958-acre (25,074 hectare) Lake Chelan National Recreation Area and the rest of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex, as well as the adjacent National Forest Wilderness.
Ross Lake National Recreation Area
Thirty miles of the North Cascades Highway meanders through the upper Skagit watershed amongst soaring peaks and forests. A variety of activities can be accessed from the corridor including challenging day or backpacking hikes, paddling and other watersports. A number of scenic lookouts, campgrounds and short trails are available for those seeking a more relaxing trip.
Top: Canoers on Ross Lake (Benjamin Drummond); Left: Thunder Creek; Above: Diablo Lake
Below Newhalem, the free-flowing portion of the Skagit River offers excellent wildlife viewing and rafting opportunities. A launch is located adjacent to Goodell Creek Campground, but careful planning is required to float the swift Skagit, as there are seasonal hazards, and closures may apply.
Diablo Lake offers the only easy access for launching watercraft off of State Rpute 20. The lake, surrounded by glaciated peaks, is a brillant turquoise blue. This unique color is caused by fine rock sediments, called glacial flour, that are carried into the lake by streams. There are 3 boat-in campsites where a backcountry permit is required.
The largest of the three lakes, Ross Lake, winds nearly 25 miles (40 km) from Ross Dam to Hozomeen on the Canadian border. The only vehicle access is via Hozomeen, but small motor boats (14' and under) and canoes/kayaks can be portaged around Ross Dam from Diablo Lake. Nineteen boat-in campsites (permit required) and the Ross Lake Resort are available for those looking to spend multiple days in this remote landscape.
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http://www.nps.gov/noca/
http://www.nps.gov/noca/challenger/ch12.htm
http://www.nps.gov/noca/challenger/ch10.htm