Photo: National Park Service/Deby Dixon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
North Cascades National Park
North Cascades Visitor Center, SR 20 near milepost 120 · Newhalem, WA
Why you should go…
North Cascades National Park protects about 504,000 acres of mountains in northern Washington, with roughly 312 glaciers, hundreds of lakes and ponds, and old-growth forest. You come here to hike, camp, fish and climb, and backcountry camping requires a permit. The North Cascades Visitor Center sits across the Skagit River from State Route 20 near milepost 120 at Newhalem, with a relief map of the park, a theater and short accessible trails. There is no fee to enter.
- #national park
- #hiking
- #glaciers
- #backcountry camping
- #mountains
Good to know
General sport & outdoor guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
Weather calls the shots
Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.
Shoes, water, sun cover
The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.
Parking and launches fill early
On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.
Daylight shrinks in shoulder season
Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.