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The park and recreation areas are always open, but access is limited by snow in winter. Note that State Route 20 (North Cascades Scenic Highway), the major access to Ross Lake National Recreation Area, is closed east of Ross Dam (mile 134) from approximately mid-November to mid-April. Exact opening and closing dates depend on weather, snow depths, and avalanche hazards.

North Cascades visitor center is open 9am-5pm year round, but weekends only in the winter and spring. Phone number is 206 386-4495 ext.11. It is located across the Skagit River from the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) near milepost 120 and the town of Newhalem; adjacent to Newhalem Creek Campground. Drive across the single lane bridge over the Skagit River and up the hill 1/2 mile. Exhibits to be found include a relief map of the park and surrounding area and an exhibit room featuring multimedia exhibits on the park’s natural and cultural history. Learn about the area’s natural and cultural history by exploring interactive exhibits, watching theater presentations or talking with rangers. The center also has several accessible interpretive trails and viewpoints.

The North Cascades Headquarters are open, Monday – Friday 8:00am – 4:30pm, excluding federal holidays. Daily hours continue from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. November 24-25th and December 1-2 the hours are 8:00-3:30pm. They are open Monday – Friday during the rest of the year except for USFS tree permits. Phone number is 360- 854-7200. It is located in Sedro-Woolley, Washington, along the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) about 5 miles east of I-5. One and one-half hours north of Seattle. This station is operated jointly with the Mt. Baker District of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, which adjoins North Cascades National Park to the west. North Cascades Institute, U.S. Geological Survey and the North Cascades branch of the Northwest Interpretive Association share this office. You will find a relief map of the park and adjacent national forests. Available facilities include an Information desk, sales area with books, maps, videos, and other items related to the national park and adjacent national forests.

The Wilderness Information Center are closed Nov. through mid-April and open mid-April through October; weekends only during spring and fall. It is open daily in the summer with extended hours. Phone number is 360-854-7245. It is located near Marblemount, WA, located approximately 1 mile down Ranger Station Road, which leaves the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) at milepost 105.3 just west of Marblemount. Backcountry permits are required year-round and are available at an outdoor self-issue station when the office is closed. This center is the main backcountry permit office for North Cascades National Park and the adjacent Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas. Exhibits about wilderness and backcountry travel can be found here as well as a relief map. Sales of books, maps, and other items related to wilderness, hiking, and climbing are also available.

The historic Golden West Visitor Center is open daily mid-March through mid-October. Summer hours are 8:30 AM-5:00 PM with reduced hours during other seasons. Nov 1 through Mar 15 it is open only Mon, Wed, Fri, and Sun (boat days) from 12:30 – 2:00pm. Boat-time hours apply only in winter and spring. Phone number is 360-854-7365. It is located several minute’s walk from the passenger ferry landing at Stehekin Landing near the north end of 50-mile long Lake Chelan. Reached via passenger ferry, trail, or float plane only. No road connections outside the area. Relief map and exhibits on natural and cultural history of the area can be seen. The visitor center has an information desk, sales of books, maps, and other items related to the area. Obtain free backcountry permits here for trips into the park’s wilderness. An audiovisual program is available throughout the day. Rangers are available to assist you with trail information, backcountry permits and general information. Naturalist Programs featuring natural and cultural history including evening programs, short talks, guided hikes and walks, bicycle tours and Jr. Ranger activities can also be found here. Check area bulletin boards for schedules and information. Weekend Evening Programs and guided snowshoe walks are available in January, February and March. The Golden West Gallery is located here. Arts & Humanities of Stehekin operates the gallery and feature a series of exhibits of work by local artists and crafts people.

The Chelan Ranger Station is open year round, Mon. through Fri. 7:45am – 4:30pm. Phone number is 509-682-2549. It is located in Chelan, Washington, at the edge of Lake Chelan near the foot of the lake. This is an office of the Wenatchee National Forest where information can be obtained concerning Lake Chelan National Recreation Area at the other end of 50-mile long Lake Chelan. An information counter, sales of books, maps, and other items related to the national forest, park and recreation area can be found.
The Glacier Public Service Center is closed except on designated Saturdays and Sundays which they are then open 9:00 -3:00 pm. They are open on weekends for Christmas tree permits. The dates are as follows, November 24-25, December 1-2, 8-9, and 15-16th. Phone number is 360-599-2714. It is located just east of Glacier, Washington, on the Mt. Baker Highway (Highway 542). Relief map of Mount Baker and exhibits on the natural and cultural history of the Mt. Baker District, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest are available. At this U.S. Forest Service station on the road to Mt. Baker and to trailheads accessing North Cascades National Park, backpackers and climbers can obtain the free Wilderness Permit required for overnight stays in the park’s backcountry. Sales of books, maps, and other items related to the area can also be found.

North Cascades became a National Park, officially, on Oct. 2, 1968, when Lyndon B. Johnson signed the North Cascades Act. This act created the North Cascades National Park Service Complex which comprised 684,000 acres of wild land. It also included the park’s north and south units, as well as Ross Lake and Lake Chelan national recreation areas. This same act created the adjacent Pasayten Wilderness of 550,000 acres and enlarged the Glacier Peak Wilderness to 464,000 acres. In 1988 Congress designated approximately 93 percent of the three areas as the Stephen Mather Wilderness to provide additional legislated protection. The Cascades are among the world’s greatest mountain ranges. Extending from Canada’s Fraser River south beyond Oregon, they contribute greatly to shaping the Pacific Northwest’s climate and vegetation.

Even the most rough and remote areas of the park contain sensitive archeological resources. Surveys are conducted to record archeological sites prior to any events. Currently, 260 prehistoric sites have been identified, some dating older than 8,500 years. As a result of these studies, it is now widely recognized that the extensive sub-alpine landscape of the North Cascades contributed importantly to Northwest Coast Indian economies. Historic archeological sites include mines and mining camps, fire lookouts, sheep herder camps, sawmills, homesteads and a “lost” hotel.

Due to the extreme weather and the jagged nature of the landscape, the higher areas of the park have never really been inhabited on a year-round basis. There is evidence of sporadic human use of the area reaching back 8000 years. Indians inhabited the Skagit and Chelan valleys and frequently visited the high country in search of food–such as deer, elk, bear, and marmot-and passage to other areas. Prior to the arrival of the white man at least 5 Indian tribes used the north Cascades area: Nooksack, Chilliwack, Chelan, Upper Skagit, and Lower Thompson. However, Indian cultures were devastated by smallpox epidemics in 1780 and from 1825-1835.

Thousands of voices from the past sputter to life in the history of the mountains and valleys of the North Cascades and still speak to us today. The Native American voice has been heard in this area for at least eight thousand years. Early European and American fur traders and explorers wandered through these mountains looking for pelts or paths in the early nineteenth century. By the early twentieth century, homesteaders and miners claimed these mountains hoping to make a living here.

The Natives:

Native people of the North Cascades were hunters, fishers and gatherers who lived in a severe and changing environment. The lives of the Native people of the North Cascades were closely tied to the natural environment and vulnerable to changes in the abundance or scarcity of the resources they depended upon. The Native people lived for thousands of years in the mountain environment. They were intimately acquainted with the land — trees, plants, animals, rivers and peaks — all of which had names and meaning. The mountain world was their home, supplying their needs for food and shelter and providing a base for their culture. Native American interactions with the environment were flexible and adaptable to rapidly changing conditions. They used the various mountain areas for different purposes at different seasons as food-gathering and settlement needs required.

The rugged topography of the North Cascades separates two regions that contained large Native populations: the peoples of the Columbia River Basin to the east and those of the Pacific Northwest/Puget Lowlands to the west. A trade network connected and enabled them to share locally abundant resources for any materials they lacked. They traveled across mountain passes to trade. They followed ridge crests to avoid dense brush along avalanche shoots and stream bottoms.

The difficulty of travel across these rugged mountains made intimate knowledge of them extremely important. Routes to the major mountain passes were vital to indigenous peoples. Lake Chelan and Upper Skagit groups used Cascade Pass regularly as a trade route through the mountains. They called the pass Stehekin, “the way through.” The Upper Skagit people reportedly cached canoes at the head of Lake Chelan to use in their trips southward down the lake. The mountains were inhabited mainly in summer and fall, when milder weather and melting snows permitted access into the high country. But reports exist that Upper Skagit might have traversed Cascade Pass in winter en route to Lake Chelan. When traveling to the east, the Chelan people crossed by way of Twisp Pass. Recent archaeological evidence indicates that Whatcom Pass might have been used by the Chilliwack and Lower Thompson Natives as a trade route across the northern end of the range.
The archeology of this area tells the story of a people who lived from the land through the natural resources. The Newhalem area is a known fishing and hunting area as well as the head of canoe travel on the Skagit River. The name Newhalem is a corrupted Lushootseed word for “place where the goats are snared. In the winter, you can often find the mountain goat on the slopes visible from near the North Cascades Visitor Center near Newhalem. The mountain goat provided wool which was used to make clothing and blankets. Newhalem was also a place for salmon fishing. It is evident each autumn, when the salmon are spawning, why the Upper Skagits chose this area to fish. The archeology that has been done in the North Cascades National Park so far has only scratched the surface of the story of these ancestors.

Places around the park still bear the ancient names given to them by the native people; for example Sahale, Nooksack, Shuksan, Nohokomeen, Hozomeen, and Stehekin. The Chelan tribe has left some special markings on the cliffs around Lake Chelan known as pictographs. These drawings made with red ocher, a natural form of iron oxide used as a pigment, are a continuing link with the past. A replicated panel of one of the Lake Chelan pictographs can be seen in the North Cascades Visitor Center at Newhalem. The exhibits there display some examples of stone tools and a piece of ocher used by native people of the North Cascades.

Native people are very much a part of the Skagit area community. The Upper Skagit Tribal Center is located near Sedro-Woolley, and others make their homes in the up-river areas. The Chilliwack and Nlaka’pamux (Lower Thompson) people continue to live in what is now British Columbia, and some are part of the Stolo Nation. The Chelan tribe is part of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

The native people today continue to have a strong tie to their cultural traditions. It is by preserving these traditions and stories that the people continue to survive. Some tribal members still pursue careers in the traditional hunting, gathering, and fishing occupations. Others are artists, lawyers, scientists, clergymen, etc.

Also today, native people carry on traditional ceremonial practices in the North Cascades, and for this purpose seek pristine ecosystem characteristics, such as are found in the park’s wilderness. Increasingly in today’s world, the lands are shrinking in size where old-growth cedar and raven ruled. This has affected the traditional practices of native people throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The Miners:

The story of mining in the North Cascades is of broken dreams. In the 1850s, prospectors began searching for gold along the banks of the Skagit River. After gold was discovered near Ruby Creek in the late 1870s, hundreds of miners swarmed over the upper Skagit valley. They found little gold, and the rush was over by 1880.

Miners prospected for gold, lead, zinc, and platinum here from 1880 to 1910. They recorded moderate strikes, but transportation proved to be arduous and profits so limited that mining was abandoned. Some logging and homesteading occurred around 1900.

Over the next few decades, miners turned their attention to other minerals, primarily silver and lead, located higher in the mountains. New claims were established in the high country around Cascade Pass, including Doubtful Lake, Boston and Horseshoe Basins and Bridge Creek. A rich silver deposit was found just below Boston Glacier near the headwaters of Thunder Creek in 1892, and another rush was on. Some silver was located, but the costs of getting the ore out were too high. By 1913 most of the Thunder Creek mining companies had folded. Mining continued along the Stehekin drainage through the 1910′s until metal values dropped and it became too costly. Interest in mining in the area did not resume until WWI increased the demand for metal and then again during the 1940′s to 1950′s for the last time. Short working seasons, unpredictable weather conditions, difficult transportation, limited accessibility and lack of working capital were all factors that hampered the development of large-scale mining in the North Cascades. The only exception was the Holden Mine which was located outside of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex, southwest of Stehekin.

The Loggers:

Timber was recognized as one of the major resources of the Cascades at an early date. Commercial timber cutting began on Westside, low-elevation forests in the 1860′s. Little of the park was commercially logged. Once the natural logjams that blocked the lower Skagit were cleared away in the 1870s, logging began to extend into the heart of the mountains. Logs were rafted down the river to be milled at settlements downstream. Logging also occurred in the Stehekin Valley. There were some mills in the valley that were used to mill lumber for local use. Most of the logs were rafted down Lake Chelan and used to make apple boxes. The lack of an adequate transportation system hindered early efforts to expand logging operations deep into the mountains. By far the most intensive logging that ever took place in the North Cascades occurred during the construction of the Skagit River hydroelectric project in the twentieth century.

The Builders:

Many of the hundreds of miners who traveled into the Skagit and Stehekin valleys stayed after their dreams were shattered. As the miners moved farther into the wilderness, they built bridges, tunnels, cabins and wagon roads. The construction of a miner’s trail along the north bank of the Skagit River required dynamiting a ledge out of sheer canyon walls and building suspension bridges over open gorges. The Goat Trail had one particularly dangerous section known as the Devil’s Corner, where a hanging bridge made of split logs traversed a narrow ledge. Roads were built up the Cascade River and along the Stehekin River from Bridge Creek to what is now Cottonwood Camp and beyond to Horseshoe Basin. Each winter, avalanches and flooding in the high country damaged the Stehekin road.

The many glacier-fed streams and rivers of the North Cascades have always been recognized as an important resource. The rivers provided the earliest pathways into the mountains, though these tumultuous waters have also hindered travel at times. The Davis family at their homestead at Cedar Bar constructed the first power plant on the Skagit River in the 1920s. Their small water wheel was powered by the nearby waters of Stetattle Creek. Similar Pelton wheels were used to produce electric power along Thunder Creek and the Stehekin River. Many homes in Stehekin eventually had their own pelton wheels until the power plant on Company Creek was built in 1960. It still generates power today using a pelton wheel along with diesel generators.

Between 1925 and 1926, the waters of Lake Chelan were raised 21 feet by a hydroelectric dam which was built down in Chelan. The additional water would have flooded many buildings like the Field Hotel so they were dismantled or moved. Construction of major hydroelectric development of the Skagit River began in 1918, when Seattle City Light was issued permits to begin construction of three dams along the river. Seattle City Light eventually built a railroad up the Skagit Valley to its company towns of Newhalem and Diablo. A diversionary dam at Gorge Creek was completed in 1924, and Diablo Dam – at that time the highest dam in the world – in 1930. Ross Dam, dedicated in 1940, was raised in 1949 to 540 feet, making it the highest of the three dams providing power to the city of Seattle. Visible from State Route 20 between Newhalem and Diablo, the present Gorge Dam was completed in 1961.

It was not until 1972, with the completion of the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) across Rainy and Washington passes, that a modern road traversed the North Cascades. Construction of this highway, which follows the Skagit River to Ruby Creek, then veers to cross Rainy and Washington Passes, followed earlier exploration of possible routes – routes through the Picket Range and over Cascade Pass were surveyed and considered. The North Cascades Highway is passable only during the warm season.

The Fur Traders:

Fur traders, traveling on foot and by canoe, were among the first Euro-Americans to venture into the North Cascades wilderness in the late 1700s. Seeking to follow the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean, these explorers entered only the lower reaches of the North Cascades. The earliest recorded crossing of the North Cascades by a Euro-American occurred in 1814. Alexander Ross, a fur trader, crossed Twisp Pass and descended Bridge Creek to the Stehekin River, which he then followed upstream. Finally crossing Cascade Pass, he traced the Cascade River downstream to its confluence with the Skagit River. Maps of Washington Territory in 1860 show large areas still labeled “unexplored.”

All those who have lived in the North Cascades have made use of the many natural resources. Commercial exploitation begun with fur trappers of the early nineteenth century and was continued by the miners, loggers and dam builders of the 1900s.

Many of the early settlers trapped to supplement their income. Trapping was primarily a winter activity; the most difficult season in the mountains. The Weaver brothers came to Stehekin primarily to trap animals for a living. They were so successful that they opened a taxidermy business across the river at what is now called Weaver Point. John McMillan, a miner, ran trap-lines along Big Beaver Creek and the upper Skagit River in the late nineteenth century. Beaver, bear, cougar, wolf, lynx, fisher, marten and fox were all sought by trappers in the North Cascades.

The Settlers and Explorers:

Over the next 40 years, many expeditions penetrated the heartland of the North Cascades, although these explorers kept to the major river systems and passes. Explorer Henry Custer crossed Whatcom Pass in 1859. Cascade Pass was crossed by non-Native Americans for the second time in 1877 by the Otto Klement party in its search for gold. In 1882 Lieutenant Henry Pierce was assigned by the U.S. Army to explore the North Cascades region of Washington Territory. His party explored the Stehekin River Valley, traversed Cascade Pass after 22 days of travel and descended the Skagit River to Sedro Woolley. He found gold-bearing quartz west of Cascade Pass in the Eldorado Peak area. While exploration of the mountains continued, settlers began to sink roots into the lush river valleys.

The North Cascades provided formidable barriers to settlement. In 1846, Washington Territory opened to homesteading, but it was not until the late 1870s, with the clearing of a massive natural logjam on the Skagit River, that settlers moved upriver. Settlement along the Stehekin River occurred later. The northeast side of the river and Lake Chelan were part of the Chief Moses Indian Reservation and was reserved for Indian settlement. In 1883, the reservation was dissolved and the land was open for settlement.

Settlement along the three major river systems, the Stehekin, Cascade and Skagit, continued through the 1880s. Early settlers faced many challenges, for the rugged environment made this a harsh land to live in. The majority of early settlers were not farmers but shopkeepers and innkeepers who came to sell goods and services to the trappers and prospectors who first ventured up the rivers. Close to the mouth of the Stehekin River was the final stop for steamboats bringing prospectors and their supplies up Lake Chelan. Prospectors stayed in a small boarding house called the “Argonaut” before venturing into the mountains. The boarding house was sold in 1892 to M. E. Field who eventually transformed it into a 25-room hotel. By 1902, the town of Stehekin had formed with a post office and schoolhouse. Marblemount, at the union of the Cascade and Skagit rivers, was established as a base for miners; the first wagon road was built into the area in 1892.

Steep mountains together with amazing varieties of rock and water features contribute to the region’s tremendous biodiversity. The mountains rise steeply to 9,206ft at Goode Mountain and fall to valley floors as low as 400ft along the Skagit River at the Complex’s west boundary. From the park’s glaciers and over 300 lakes and ponds, flow thousands of miles of rivers and streams. Several major watersheds flow from the North Cascades including those of the Skagit, Stehekin and Nooksack rivers. The Skagit River and its tributary streams comprise the largest watershed draining into Puget Sound. Variation in elevation, soil types, rainfall and exposure combine to form eight distinctive life zones from the lowland forests and wetlands to the alpine peaks and glaciers.

The North Cascades are still rising, shifting and forming. Geologists believe that these mountains are a collage of terrains; distinct assemblages of rock separated by faults. Fossil and rock magnetism studies indicate that the North Cascades terrains were formed thousands of miles south in the Pacific Ocean. Attached to slowly moving plates of oceanic rock, they drifted northward merging together about 90 million years ago. Colliding with the North American Continent, the drifting rock masses were thrust upwards and faulted laterally into a jumbled array of mountains. The collision broke or sliced the terrains into north or south trending faults that are still evident today.

Over time, these predecessors to today’s North Cascades were further faulted and eroded to a nearly level plain. During the past 40 million years, heavier oceanic rocks thrust beneath the edge of this region. Intense heat at great depths caused them to melt. Some of the melt rose to the surface as fiery volcanic eruptions like Mt. Baker. The rest re-crystallized at various depths to form vast bodies of granite rock forming the core of the North Cascades. These gigantic pinnacles have pushed upward to majestic heights again, exposing the roots of the ancient collision zone. Scientists agree North Cascades geology comprises some of the most complex and least understood geology in North America.

Glaciers glisten as the most striking mountaintop feature of the North Cascades. Boasting over 300 glaciers and countless snowfields, the North Cascades National Park Service Complex is one of the snowiest places on earth and the most heavily glaciated area in the United States outside of Alaska. Glaciers form when more snow accumulates in winter than melts or evaporates during the following summer. As the snow compacts into ice, it slowly moves downhill. As glaciers move, they gouge and scrape the land redefining the landscape.

The North Cascades are named after the abundant waterfalls that lace the mountains. Two of the best known waterfalls are Gorge Falls between Newhalem and Diablo along State Route 20 and Rainbow Falls in the Stehekin Valley.
Major rivers continually shape the landscape on all sides of the Cascade Crest and provide key habitat for thousands of species of plants and animals. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the North Cascades. To the north, the Chilliwack River leaves the park to combine with the Fraser River in British Columbia (the largest watershed along the west coast of North America). The Nooksack River flows west beyond Mount Baker beginning its journey near Mt. Shuksan. Baker River drains the Picket Range and southeast slopes of Mount Baker joining the Skagit River, which flows from Canada, then westward across the middle of North Cascades National Park Complex. The Skagit is the largest watershed emptying into Puget Sound. The Stehekin River drains the southeast corner of the park to feed Lake Chelan – a glacier-carved trough which at 1500 feet is the third deepest natural lake in the nation. The waters of Lake Chelan eventually make their way to the mighty Columbia River, the largest river system in the western US.
These large rivers are fed by hundreds of streams with their origins in the steep mountains and glaciers. Late each summer these streams carry finely ground rock particles, or glacial flour, that cloud the water and lend a characteristic color. Local nicknames for the Skagit River include the Emerald Skagit and the Magic Skagit. The most dramatic contribution to this phenomenon is from Thunder Creek, which drains over fifty glaciers before flowing into the turquoise reflecting waters of Diablo Lake reservoir.
For the early peoples of this region the rivers were home, serving as means of transport, a key source of food, and clean drinking water. This still holds true today, and for the modern visitor the flowing waters of the North Cascades provide additional values of recreation, education, inspiration and hydropower.

The high peaks, deep forests and cold rivers for which the park is renowned wetlands, marshes and swamps may be the last thing people think of when they visit. Although they are not the most prominent aspects of the park ecosystem, they are one of the most important. They prepare the ground from which, in time, will spring forth an ancient forest. Wetlands also provide perfect habitat for many amphibians, invertebrates and aquatic plants. Some of the most outstanding wetlands in the park are nestled along the lower stretches of the Chilliwack River.

The area is a magnificent expanse of relatively inaccessible and pristine wilderness, which has been recommended for designation as a Research Natural Area. Here, near the Canadian border, is located one of the largest wetlands in the park, boasting forested, scrub/shrub, emergent and open water wetlands. As with all ecosystems, this environment is dependent on the plants and creatures that dwell there.

Much of the wetland is maintained by a colony of beavers that dam the streams with freshly cut alder boughs, stream debris and packed mud. The standing water and the animal and plant activity that occurs within it saturate the ground with nutrients preparing it for the forests of future generations. The wetland is dependent on the beaver colony just as the beaver colony is dependent on the wetland and future old-growth forests are dependent on them both. The wetland environment provides us with yet another example of how all things in nature are interconnected, even the wetlands that so often go overlooked.

Climbing higher, toward the glacial snows, we enter a world of rock and ice. Along the rocky summit ridge of the peak, the only living things we find are lichens, a few insects, and two rosy finches, squeaking as they hop on the topmost crags, oblivious to the precipice below.
Over millions of years of geologic time, living things adapt to their environment. Every species finds a unique place in its habitat and community. Life is limited by the physical environment and by other organisms. An organism must be able to cope with all of these to survive.

Extreme variation, in rock and soil types, exposure, slope, elevation, and rainfall is reflected in the diverse plant life here. Eight distinctive life zones support thousands of different plant species in the North Cascades greater ecosystem. No other US National Park surpasses North Cascades National Park in the number of plant species recorded. Over 1,630 vascular plant species have been identified, and estimates of non-vascular and fungal species could more than double this number for total plant species in the North Cascades.

The mountain world of the North Cascades is a rich and diverse ecosystem – a place bound together by geography and climate and by the interactions of living communities of plants and animals. It is the dramatic variations that we notice first: the sharp contrast between old-growth forests of the river valleys and dwarfed and twisted krummholz trees of a sub-alpine ridge; the difference between the lush greenery of the west side and drier forests of the eastern slope. Not all the differences between habitats are dramatic. Subtle changes may be noticed as one habitat and community grade almost become undetectable.

The ecosystem contains many different habitats. Ecologists compare an organism’s habitat to its “address”. Together these plants and animals make up an interacting, interdependent community. These habitats range from the microhabitat of the forest floor, a world of fir needles and decaying wood, home of the centipede and wolf spider, to the trout-filled waters of Berdeen Lake, hidden away in the backcountry and accessible only by days of rugged, cross-country travel. The mountain forests support communities of plants and animals different from those of the river valleys. Plants that flourish in sub-alpine meadows are strangers to the more severe conditions of alpine ridges.

The river valley toward the montane forest, the plants and animals change around us. The giant ponderosa pines of the lowlands give way to Douglas-fir and Pacific silver fir. The merganser and harlequin ducks of the lower river make way for dippers and spotted sandpipers. As we leave the river behind and climb higher, we enter the sub-alpine world of meadows and stunted krummholz trees. At the pass, gateway to the peaks beyond, we find ourselves in a different land filled with different creatures – a world apart from the valley still shrouded in mist far, far below.

Abundant rain and mild winters provide the perfect environment for trees in the Pacific Northwest to grow very large and old. Not so long ago ancient forests of Douglas-fir and red cedar blanketed nearly all of the Pacific Northwest. These trees were so big that early settlers would sometimes make homes out of hollow stumps just by building roofs over them. Most of the old giants are gone from the Northwest, but in the wilds of the North Cascades you can still visit groves that have never been cut and still retain all of the characteristics of old-growth forest.

Old-growth forests are not defined solely by the size of their trees. Ancient forests are a magnificent and complex part of the life where all things are connected. Lichen in the forest canopy absorb the surrounding air’s nitrogen, which is washed into the soil and used by forest vegetation; symbiotic fungi attached to plant roots supply their host with water and nutrients and, in return, take in carbohydrates; animals eat plants and help spread seeds across the forest to begin a new cycle of growth.

When ancient forests are cut, it takes decades to rebuild the severed connections. “When we try to pick out anything by itself,” said conservationist and nature writer John Muir, “we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”
Ferns thrive in the low light and high moisture forests. Sword, deer, licorice, lace, parsley, maidenhair, bracken, lady, oak and wood ferns cover the forest floor. These ancient plants have been living on this planet for more than 300 million years. Ferns dominated the plant world until flowering plants emerged during the age of dinosaurs. They have internal tubes for transporting water and nutrients, without which, a plant cannot grow more than a few inches tall. Ferns have two distinguishing characteristics: they reproduce by spores and their leaves unroll from base to tip as they mature, resulting in a fiddlehead appearance.

What image of the Pacific Northwest would be complete without the forest floor covered in lush, green ferns? As you walk through the woods of the North Cascades you will discover that in moist places ferns dominate the forest floors. Walking amongst the fronds, what you are actually viewing are the leaves of the plant, which grow out of horizontal, underground stems called rhizomes.
Grass and grass-like plants include the true grasses, Poaceae, Juncaceae and Cyperaceae. These plants all have tiny, simple flowers and are wind pollinated. They occupy a variety of habitats from low elevation wetlands to dry wind blown mountain ridges. True grasses include approximately 150 species half of which are native. Of the species that are non-native, the worst invader is reed canary grass. It can be found in wetlands, on lakeshores, and river edges. Rushes and sedges are invaluable for their ability to stabilize stream banks, filter sediments, and along with many true grasses they provide habitat and food for numerous animals and other organisms.
Common in the North Cascades, lichens are unique, composite life forms created when fungi enclose algae in similar symbiosis. In such a relationship both organisms should benefit, however, many lichenologists believe the partnership may actually be more beneficial to the fungus than the algae. Algae have the ability to create food through photosynthesis but are vulnerable to the elements. Fungi, which are not green for lack of chlorophyll, are unable to photosynthesize their own food. When alone, fungi are usually found in the form of mold, mildew or mushrooms that play many beneficial roles in decomposition. They are also found acting as symbiotic partners of other plants in the forest. Together as lichens, algae and fungi offer something to the other: algae provide carbohydrates and fungi provide protection. Lichens exploit habitats where fungi and algae could not survive independently.

As a result, the forest in is literally covered with lichens. They are on trees, talus slopes, and even old buildings. They display a rich diversity of forms, which to many observers is the beauty of lichens. Lungwort looks like a rubbery piece of lettuce and is easy to find scattered on the ground, especially after a windstorm has knocked it out of the canopy above. Old-man’s-beard looks like green, stringy hair hanging from tree branches. Lichens provide food for animals such as flying squirrels and material for birds’ nests. Lichens are essential nitrogen fixers in forest floor soils. Sensitive to pollution, lichens are studied by park scientists to measure pollutants and aging geologic exposure.
Not so long ago, ancient forests filled the valleys of the Cascades. Curving corridors still drip with lush dark green tiny plants. Mysterious, shaggy plants of primitive origin cover the forest floor and drape from branches, as if dripping like the incessant rainfall. Soft carpets cover every branch, nurse log, and rock. They cushion and replenish forest soils. Tiny moss forests seem like a microcosm of the ancient forest. Change, dependence on clean air and water, and unique phases of life determine their existence.

These cryptogams are like ‘hidden puzzles’ of untold variety. They are among the most abundant and least understood plants on earth. Lacking roots and the vascular system common to seed plants, they rely on nutrients dissolved in the damp, wet air. Each fall and spring lush carpets expand, grow and reproduce as they literally suck in and reserve moisture during the wet times of the year. During the coldest and driest times, mosses and liverworts can let go of their moisture and dry out without dying. They do this during the frozen winter and dry hot summer. Surviving with little sunlight or contact with soil, these amazing plants remind us of ancient times and forests that will continue to cycle through time.

The conifers are often referred to as evergreens because of their characteristic needle or scale-like leaves that persist throughout the year. Yet, two species of larch are deciduous – dropping their needle leaves in the fall after turning a beautiful soft shade of gold.
In the North Cascades conifers define the major forest types, but adding to their complexity are many species of deciduous broad-leaved trees. Species of maple, poplar, and alder grow in the natural openings caused by disturbances to the upper canopy. This happens when large trees are blown over by wind or die of disease. Broad-leaved trees also grow along the edges of streams and rivers where there is more available light.

Woody shrubs, both coniferous and deciduous, grow in the under story of these forests providing shelter and food for wildlife. Many birds such as the Rufus hummingbird also use shrubs for nesting. Shrubs are also important along stream corridors where their shade helps to keep water temperatures from getting too high for fish, particularly salmon, and other aquatic fauna.
Wildflowers can be found everywhere, they arise across the entire range of habitat types from wet hillside seeps and moist, shady forest floors to dry east-side slopes and exposed alpine ridges. Flowers are remarkably diverse. They can bear a single flower or hundreds of small ones; they can be simple or ornate, growing alone among ancient hemlocks or as stunning displays in open alpine meadows.
Many of the wildflowers will be familiar due to their wide spread distribution, but a few will be found nowhere else in the world. Many wildflowers are partial to one side of the Cascade ridge or the other, the moist west side or the dry east side, which can lead to a dramatic change in scenery and habitat types.

The great differences in elevation, exposure, and precipitation that exist promote a range of flowering times. Some plants are flowering by late February and early March in the low elevation forests and as late as August and early September in the alpine zone. While most of our flowers contain insects or are wind pollinated, those blooming during the relatively warmer days of April and May, such as salmonberry, Indian plum, and red-flowering currant will be visited by hummingbirds returning to breed.

There is so much to do in The North Cascades. Outdoor activities, scenic vistas, and educational opportunities abound. Stop by a visitor center and enjoy an interpretive talk or a walk with a ranger. Visit the Ross Lake National Recreation Area and take a hike along the scenic North Cascades Highway. Have a picnic, or go camping with the family. Take a trip into the wilderness for a backpacking or climbing experience. Ride the Lady of the Lake to the historic and unique town of Stehekin in the heart of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. Take a class from the North Cascades Institute at the new Environmental Learning Center. Go fishing in a lake or river. Perhaps, even take a rafting trip down a river! Or come and enjoy the trails for horseback riding.

Ross Lake National Recreation Area, along State Route 20, is where most visitors enter the park complex. The Skagit River and three major reservoirs (Gorge, Diablo and Ross Lakes) offer ample recreation and sightseeing. Points of interest include visitor centers, viewpoints, short trails, campgrounds, and the Stephen Mather Wilderness. A new Environmental Learning Center is located on the shores of Diablo Lake.

Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is most frequently visited at a remote village called Stehekin, by boat. Visitors embark on Lake Chelan via one of the Boat Company vessels from Chelan or Field’s Point.

North Cascades Institute offers a variety of hands-on programs, including Mountain School, a residential program for elementary, junior and high-school students from various school districts in western Washington. Other programs include summer youth adventures, family getaways, adult seminars, and retreats, graduate studies and volunteer stewardship opportunities. The Institute operates North Cascades Environmental Learning Center in partnership with the City of Seattle and the National Park Service. Enjoy the solitude, peace, and challenge that hiking in this beautiful park offers. Remember to walk lightly, so that many generations more may discover this place as you will.

Intrepid hikers, backpackers, and climbers ply the trails of the park year round. However, the more common hiking season stretches from April through October. The driest and most popular time to visit is during the summer months of mid-June through September. Keep in mind that higher elevation trails often remain snow-covered well into July and sometimes August. Precipitation and snowfall are greatest from November through March. The park’s winters are wet, and snowfall is heavy. Access is often limited during these winter months by impassable or closed roads.
What sort of hike do you want to take? Fancy a peaceful stroll down to the river, looking for birds and wildlife, or a glimpse of migrating salmon? Or are you in the mood to push your limits, climb to the heights and watch the world unfold below you? Short or long, low elevation or high, there are hundreds of miles of trails awaiting your discovery throughout the season.

The North Cascades preserves some of the finest mountain country in North America; a hiker’s smorgasbord. From accessible trails and short, scenic strolls to steep, grueling hikes that will make your legs burn but your heart sing, there is a trail here that will suit your mood. The extreme gradients of climate and topography contribute to an impressive diversity of habitat and species. To navigate the incredibly steep elevation relief, the nearly 400 miles of trails often follow the long, forested, valley bottoms, then switchback up to the steep passes or ridges.

Here you will find climbing routes of high quality and aesthetic appeal, guarded by remote, rugged access and weather volatility, resulting in mountaineering experiences of mental and physical challenge, solitude, and fulfillment.

The numerous peaks and over 300 glaciers present a variety of challenges and rewards: classic mixed mountaineering routes, intricate glacier travel, technical rock climbing and scrambling, all within a premier wilderness setting. Approach routes are often arduous, requiring strenuous cross-country travel, sometimes for days or through thick slide alder, rocky avalanche shoots and icy creeks or rivers, steep snow, or traversing slopes in steep, slippery terrain. The physical and mental challenge can push climbers to their limits, and changes in the weather can foil a summit bid. But when you finally stand on the top of a summit looking out over a jagged, glaciated mountain range that finds its finest and highest expression here in the park, as you tower over the alpine meadows and deep valleys, you will understand why these peaks draw climbers and wilderness travelers again and again, and you will begin to plot your next climb in these mountains.

Self guided tours of the park can be done by, obtaining a copy of the North Cascades Challenger, talking to a Park Ranger, CD’s, books, and maps of the Park. Various commercial guided tours are also available. Naturalist tours by National Park Rangers are regularly scheduled during the summer and by special request at other times of the year.

Many private companies offer activities and tours by permit in the North Cascades. Lady of the Lake cruises up Lake Chelan to the remote area of Stehekin.

River floating is an excellent adventure worth planning for. Experienced boaters run the Skagit, Nooksack and Stehekin Rivers. Ask for a list of local outfitters at any ranger station.

Kayaking, canoeing and motor boating are other options. Boat and paddling rentals are available at Baker Lake, Ross Lake and Lake Chelan. Ramps are located at Baker Lake, Gorge Lake, Diablo Lake, Lake Chelan and the north end of Ross Lake at Hozomeen.

Fishing in Washington, including in National Parks and Forests, requires a valid Washington State fishing license. The Skagit River, one of Washington’s major watersheds, is home to seven species of anadromous fish (five salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout) and freshwater trout and char. Diablo and Gorge Lakes have been stocked with rainbow and cutthroat trout, but Ross Lake, which has been left natural, offers quality sport fishing. Lake Chelan has fresh water cod, trout and kokanee (land-locked salmon.) The Stehekin River offers rainbow and cutthroat trout.

Horse trails in the Cascades are designated and have specified camps for use with stock groups. Most are accessed from the Lake Chelan NRA but Ross Lake is the access to several long trails that allow horses; Thunder Creek, Ross Lake and East Bank. All Wilderness party size limits apply, meaning that no more than twelve including all people and horses are allowed.

Stargazing can be a thrilling experience. Spend an evening in the North Cascades and you will rediscover the wonder of absolute darkness punctuated by the countless points of light that since the dawn of time have ignited the imagination of humanity. As an increasing number of open spaces are converted to urban or suburban areas, the beauty and wonder of the night sky fades into memory. The universe becomes obscured by the dull electric glow of every street lamp, house light and neon sign that casts its light into the night sky, making places of undisturbed darkness like the North Cascades vital and unique. With over 600,000 acres designated as the Stephen Mather Wilderness, most of the park complex is free from the disturbance of man-made lights. Here the heavens seem to shine with more vigor and vibrancy as the wilderness serenades us with its symphony of nighttime activity.

Water, Air, Earth and Fire are continually shaping and reshaping the landscape. The seemingly permanent and immovable mountains of the North Cascades are continuously rising and changing by environmental factors. Perhaps the most potent and abundant factor, water in its many forms, is what makes the North Cascades the place of wonder. As rain and snow, water falls on the mountaintops where it is compacted into glacial ice that will carve its legacy in every stone. Eventually it melts, cascading down the mountainsides in rivulets that become streams that become rivers carrying the mountains to the sea.

Air and Fire do their part as well. Winds whip through the valleys and whirl around the peaks invisibly shaping the land and the life upon it. Lightning strikes down out of the skies setting the forest on fire. Small, weak trees and dead wood are burned to cinders making way for new life to spring forth from the ashes. And all three elements interact with the earth, shaping and molding it, using pieces of it—large chunks of stone dragged by a glacier or tiny pieces of silt adrift in the waterways—like a chisel to carve a new work of art from the land.

Humankind’s mark does not go unnoticed either. Everything we do affects the park in ways both great and small; from our pollution to the non-native species we introduce to our efforts at preservation. Park scientists and policy makers work continuously to monitor these impacts and protect the natural wonder of the park.

The fresh mountain air of the North Cascades is rated Class I, most pristine under the Clean Air Act. While the air quality is excellent, it is not without pollutants. The park lies in the path of prevailing southwesterly winds blowing from rapidly growing urban-industrial areas near the Puget Sound. The mark of humankind’s activity can be found everywhere within the park. Windborne pollutants are deposited on glaciers in the watershed via precipitation. As the ice melts, water carries the pollutants into the food chain, moving from tiny aquatic insects called macro-invertebrates, to fish, to land mammals and eventually even back to humans.

Fire is a powerful and magical force. A carelessly discarded cigarette, an unsupervised cooking flame or lightning can cause destruction and even death. In the skillful hands of the park’s fire team, however, fire becomes a useful tool of prevention and preservation. Prescribed burns are used to protect the wilderness by thinning out underbrush and small trees, thus reducing the danger of high-risk areas. The fire team monitors and, when necessary, manages natural wildfires. The regime recognizes fire as an essential element of change in the ecosystem. Usually sparked by lightning strikes, wildfires actually benefit the forest by thinning out small, weak trees thus clearing the way for new growth. Past policies of wildfire suppression in many parks actually worked against the wilderness by creating an unnaturally high accumulation of fuel that can lead to large scale uncontrollable destruction. Fire is like a double-edged sword, which is, on one hand, a tool that can be used for protection while, on the other, a destructive and deadly force if mismanaged. Fortunately, the park’s fire program works constantly to limit artificial effects on the natural balance of fire and simultaneously protect people and forest communities.

Volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods and earthquakes remind us that this landscape is dynamic and ever-changing. These dramatic events can change habitat and ecosystems instantly. The landslides triggered by heavy rains or earthquakes deliver sediment and large wood to streams. Landslides can also block valleys and form new lakes. The Cascade volcanoes Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens and Glacier Peak are active, and geologically speaking, very young features. Glacier Peak and Mt. Baker had significant cone-building eruptions 12,000 years ago. Colossal ice sheets covered all but the highest peaks in the North Cascades as recently as 16,000 years ago.

More gradual changes occur over decades or centuries. Changes in air quality, growing season, temperature, precipitation and solar radiation can also be influential in altering ecosystems. Pollution is carried by prevailing into the Cascades from Puget Sound. Winter storms and cold temperatures in the mountains scrub some of this pollution from the air and deposit it in lakes, streams and glaciers. Changes in air and water temperatures are lengthening the growing season, melting glaciers, and shrinking the sub alpine and alpine zones.
Critical knowledge of these rapid and slow processes is needed to manage the parks and understand results from plant and animal monitoring programs. Our ability to protect and preserve ecosystems hinges on an understanding of soils, air quality, geologic processes, climate change floodplains and other factors.

Plant life in the North Cascades is extremely varied, reflecting differences in rock and soil types, exposure, slope, elevation, and rainfall. Some of these plants are threatened or endangered, and changes such as air pollution might affect their survival. Other threats include invasive non-native plants that are referred to as exotic species. Exotic species are capable of displacing native species and changing biotic communities. Resource managers are taking action to reduce this threat by removing these invasive plants. This can be particularly difficult because these plants utilize trails, waterways, wind, and roads to colonize the area. Restoration of habitats changed by human activity has been a priority since the park was established in 1968. As leaders in developing methods of re-vegetation in the National Park Service, the plant propagation crew has grown thousands of native plants from seeds and cuttings. Taken from areas adjacent to damaged sites, these seeds and cuttings are later returned as young plants to restore campsites and trampled areas of the park.

The North Cascades glaciers may be disappearing; most have shrunk dramatically during the last century. This is due to the combined effects of less precipitation and warmer summers. Glaciers mirror the trends of climate change, resulting in life changes through soil development and distribution of vegetation. Glaciers are indicators of climate changes such as temperature and precipitation. As reservoirs of snow from past winters, pollutants may wash into mountain lakes and streams where they enter the food chain. Salmon and other aquatic life, along with plant and animal life could encounter difficulties and dramatic change as glaciers disappear.

Aquatic Life in the North Cascades environment is one of the characteristics that make this area distinctive. Over 500 lakes and ponds are scattered throughout the mountain landscape. These natural environments are home to native aquatic life including plankton, aquatic insects, frogs and salamanders. To visitors, the natural backdrop of these lakes and ponds makes them appear immaculate, but ongoing stresses may be affecting the health of these ecological systems.

Park resource mangers are monitoring these lakes and ponds to determine their chemical and physical status. Acidic deposition (acid rain) and nutrient-laden atmospheric deposition may be altering the chemical composition of lakes and ponds. This could be causing acidification and nutrient enrichment harmful to the sensitive balance of aquatic life. The physical and chemical properties of lakes and streams can also be affected by direct human influences. Trampling and destruction of vegetation around shorelines leads to erosion, sedimentation and changes in nutrient inputs. Introduction of non-native species causes environmental disturbances, and historic mining activity may have led to the contamination of some water sources.

Few untrammeled wilderness areas remain in the world today; the Pacific Northwest Mountains still contain some of those. Many habitats and natural communities have been preserved in as pristine a state as possible in national park or forest wilderness areas. These communities exist now as they have existed for thousands of years. They are living preserves where we can experience the natural world untainted by any direct impacts of industrialized civilization. Unfortunately, indirect effects like acid rain and smog reach and change wilderness areas that are home to many organisms and communities that can exist only in a truly wild state. Further, human presence drives away many species, including the grizzly and the wolf, in search of undisturbed terrain. By learning about and respecting our remaining wilderness areas, we can safeguard those species reliant on them for survival.

The Park Service considers the following 10 items absolute essentials for hikers-even day- hikers-in the North Cascades National Park Service Complex. Hikers should carry them and know how to use them.
-Navigation (a topographical map and compass)
-Food and water (boiling water can kill Giardia, but some treatment pills can’t)
-Clothing (including rain gear, wool socks, sweater, gloves, and hat)
-Light (a flashlight with spare bulb and batteries)
-Fire (waterproof matches and a fire starter, such as a candle)
-Sun protection (sunglasses and sunscreen)
-First aid (a kit including any special medications you might need)
-Knife (a folding pocket knife is best)
-Signals (both audible and visual: whistle and metal mirror)
-Emergency shelter (a plastic tube shelter or waterproof bivouac sack)
-As with all hiking and outdoor walking activities, rangers recommend wearing sturdy hiking boots with good traction and adequate ankle support.

Weather in the North Cascades varies greatly depending on the season and location. From autumn to spring much of the park is buried under a solid layer of snow. The most accommodating weather is from mid-June to late-September, when all but the highest trails are generally clear of snow. The west slopes and high peaks catch the brunt of wet systems blowing in from the Pacific Ocean creating a more abundant and moderate evergreen forest, while the shielded lower east slopes tend to be warm and dry throughout the summer.

The difference between west and east is so great that the western slopes receive an average of 76 more inches of precipitation and 407 more inches of snowfall annually. So much snow falls in the mountains that State Route 20—the only road that traverses the park from east to west—is closed every winter for four months or more.

During an average year heavy snow and continuous avalanches bury the highway beyond Ross Lake Trailhead from mid-November to April. No matter what time of the year it is, visitors entering the North Cascades should remember that mountain weather is unpredictable and prone to sudden changes. Even in the summer storms are common. Especially those visitors who plan on traveling into the backcountry should be prepared for adverse conditions. Warm, waterproof clothing is all but required year-round just in case.

The best weather for visiting the North Cascades generally occurs between mid-June and late-September. Snow is off all but the highest trails by July. Autumn and spring are becoming more popular for visits since car tours of the Skagit, Okanogan and Stehekin Valleys are enticing for color and wildlife. Heavy snow and rain, at high elevations, characterize the North Cascades every winter. Avalanches are common in winter and spring in these steep mountains and even in places along the North Cascades Highway.

The east side of the Cascade Mountains (such as Stehekin in Lake Chelan National Recreation Area) is drier and warmer in the summer than the west side. Summer temperatures at Stehekin reach the 90′s F. Winter at Stehekin and at all elevations above 2,000′ throughout the park complex may be snow covered from late fall into spring.

Current Park Weather

Many come to the North Cascades to enjoy its rugged beauty and isolated wildness. Conditions in mountainous areas can change very rapidly, even during a day trip. These travel tips can help you have a safe and responsible journey so that you, and future travelers, can enjoy the landscape to its fullest.

Always use caution on access roads: watch for obstructions such as rocks, sudden bends, and parked vehicles/pedestrians. Safeguard your possessions by keeping them out of sight and lock your vehicle. Stay on the provided trails and wear adequate footwear. Always use a topographic map/compass to prevent getting lost. After hiking, check yourself for ticks which may carry Lyme disease. Remember horses can startle easily so as you approach, make your presence known and stand on the lower side of the trail. Please report down trees or washouts to the nearest ranger station. Do not depend on cell phones as there are many ‘dead spots’. Always tell a friend your travel plans including destination and expected return time. Please follow all Leave No Trace hiking and camping practices to reduce your impact on this special place and leave it unimpaired for future generations.

Cross-country camping is allowed as well, but must be at least one-half mile from any trail and one mile away from designated camps. Camping is not allowed in alpine meadows or on fragile vegetation, or near water sources. Off-trail hiking can be very challenging in this steep and thickly vegetated terrain. In many areas, hiking one-half mile away from a trail may literally put you on the side of a steep slope, or crossing a swift creek. Most off-trail travel is undertaken by mountaineers with climbing objectives beyond the forested lower slopes. However, adventurous and experienced backpackers will find a wild park with plenty of opportunities to bushwhack, explore your physical boundaries, find solitude, and discover some hidden gems.

Always carry food and water. Boil all water first before using. Weather can change dramatically in the mountains. Carry rain gear and warm clothing including wool socks, gloves and hat. Know how to use a topographic map and compass before you head out on your expedition. Keep on hand a flashlight with spare batteries and bulb. Pack waterproof matches and fire starter such as a candle. It’s also important to wear sunglasses and sunscreen. When packing a first aid kit, make sure to include any special medications. Pack a folding pocket knife. Bring both an audible and visual signal, such as a whistle and a metal mirror. If you are only planning to day-hike, make sure you have an emergency shelter such as a plastic tube shelter or waterproof bivouac sack or emergency blanket. Additional backpacking list should include: tent with rainfly, sleeping bag and mat, camp stove, fuel, water filtering system, cooking utensils, compass, topographical map, GPS unit, repair kit, good hiking boots, backpack, hat, insect repellent, 2 quart water bottle, collapsible water container, garbage bags to pack out what you pack in, 25 feet of rope to hang food and garbage if not using the bear-proof containers, trowel to bury human waste in a 6-8 inch “cat hole”, and a small mesh strainer to strain food particles from gray water.

Be well informed about the regulations and trail conditions in the area in which you plan to travel when horseback riding. A safer more enjoyable trip can be had when you and your horse possess a high level of fitness. For their well-being, condition your horse to the equipment and feed you plan to use, and the sight of ‘unusual creatures’ such as humans wearing large backpacks, dogs, llamas and other stock animals. As well, acquire information on permits, proper equipment, backcountry food storage, and other trip planning considerations from the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount.

All backcountry permits fees are free. Backcountry Permits are required year round for all overnight stays in the backcountry of North Cascades National Park Service Complex (North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas). Each party (individual or group) must obtain and carry a backcountry permit for the duration of the backcountry trip. Permits are specific to a site (along trails or boat-in areas) or a cross-country zone each night of the itinerary. You must follow the itinerary listed on your permit. Failure to possess and display a valid backcountry permit may result in a fine and/or immediate removal from the backcountry.
Note: Permits are not required for day use or for camping in car-accessed campgrounds along State Route 20 or at the drive-in campground at Hozomeen.

You can obtain a backcountry permit in person only. It can be obtained on the first day of your backcountry trip or up to one day before. These permits are on a first-come, first-served basis (no reservations). There are a limited number of permits available for each camp and cross-country zone. Be flexible and plan alternate camp or trip locations if you are visiting during the busy season or going to a popular area such as Ross Lake, Cascade Pass, Copper Ridge, and the Sulphide Glacier and Boston Basin areas.

Backcountry permits can be obtained from the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount. This center has the most current and comprehensive information on backcountry conditions, and can best assist with trip planning. Permits are also available at other locations as described below.
Dogs are not permitted on trails or in cross-country areas within the national park. Leashed dogs are allowed in Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas, along the Pacific Crest Trail and along roads in the national park. Leashed dogs are allowed in the National Forest in developed recreation areas, except on Table Mountain Trail 681 in Heather Meadows Area.

Children should always remain with adults. Be sure to establish rules for keeping together. If separated, the child should hug a tree near an open area and not move from that spot. Try to pick trails and adjust goals to children’s ages and abilities. Have children help develop an emergency kit and make sure they are familiar with how to use each item. Before heading out help children develop responsible outdoor practices for there safety.

If you will be bicycling please keeps these tips in mind to have a safe and fun trip. Be visible and equipped with personal safety gear including the essential helmet. All bikes should have front and rear reflectors as well as flashing taillights for daytime travel. For early morning, dusk, or evening travel, a headlight is a must. Clothing should be reflective and/or brightly colored to increase your visibility to motorists. Remember to carry extra bike tubes, a patch kit, and a tire pump for on-road repairs. Check on distances between fill-up areas.

Fantastic geologic scenery is both beautiful and threatening. Watch out for rolling rocks on the road and wet roadways. Waterfalls may distract drivers from watching for cyclists.

Because bicyclists will be sharing the road with motorized Park visitors, special considerations must be made for road travel. Use caution when on blind corners and hills. Although the shoulder line separates the bicyclist’s path from that of the motorist, both motorists and bicyclists can cross these lines at anytime. Stay alert and be visible using head and taillights and reflective clothing.

Between the towns of Newhalem and Diablo there are two tunnels. The longer one is closer to Newhalem and is fitted with a “BIKES IN TUNNEL” flashing safety light that can be turned on at either end. Watch for rocks and, before entering tunnels, turn on all head and taillights. Reduced road space can force cars and bikes together.

Stay alert since you will also be sharing the road with other cyclists. Know & use the correct hand signals. Think ahead and know what to do if you do meet other cyclists. Be comfortable with explaining to others what it takes to make a safe trip.

State Route 20 is normally closed by snow from mid-November into April. Closures and poor conditions due to weather, construction, snow depth and avalanche hazards may occur at any time of the year. Check before departure by calling park headquarters.

Personal watercraft (jet skis, etc.) are not allowed in the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.

In order to protect spawning fish populations, it is necessary to comply with special regulations including closures, seasons, catch limits and gear restrictions.

The North Cascades is one of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. Animals with fins, fur, feathers and scales are all at home in this dramatic and beautiful environment. Elusive mammals like the gray wolf, fisher and wolverine wander the wilderness in small numbers, while more adaptable Columbia black-tailed deer, Douglas squirrels and pikas delight park visitors in abundance. A wide variety of birds breed within the park boundaries, including rare animals such as the bald eagle, osprey, Harlequin duck as well as a variety of neo-tropical migrants. Fish and amphibians lurk in the clear mountain lakes and streams. The rich forests, rocky slopes and clean waters teem with invertebrate life, such as butterflies, dragonflies, stoneflies and mayflies.

Each creature, no matter what its size, plays an intricate role in the North Cascades, whether it is a grizzly bear or a banana slug. North Cascades is home to approximately 75 mammal species in 20 families; around 21 species of reptiles and amphibians representing at least four orders; roughly 200 species of birds in 38 families; at least 28 species of fish; and recent surveys have documented over 500 types of land insects and approximately 250 aquatic invertebrate species.

Salamanders, frogs and toads thrive in the park. Twelve species of amphibians can be found in its streams, lakes, ponds and wetlands. Most species favor the still waters of the latter, but two species that brave the swift streams and rivers are the Pacific giant salamander and the tailed frog. The Pacific giant salamander is found in stream tributaries of the Skagit River on the west side of the Park. The tailed frog is often found in the cold, swift waters of small steep gradient streams at higher elevations such as Happy Creek. At these higher altitudes and much colder average temperatures, the tailed frog tadpoles may take three to four years to completely metamorphose into the adult stage. The tadpoles are adapted for life in swift water. Its mouth parts form a sucker like disk enabling them to cling to rock surfaces while searching for algae. They can even climb vertical rock faces in this manner under swift water.

The majority of amphibians prefer the vastly different habitat of ponds, lakes and wetlands. The western toad, Northwestern salamander, long-toed salamander, rough-skinned newt and Pacific tree frog are a few of the species that breed in these fertile habitats. Most spend the early part of their lives almost entirely in the water until they are fully developed and capable of migrating to land. The Ensatina, however, is a small delicate terrestrial breeding salamander that lays its eggs in moist holes in the ground at lower elevations. The Ensatina has a constriction at the base of its tail, which allows the tail to break off if it gets attacked. The detached tail wiggles violently to distract the predator letting the tailless salamander to escape and live to regenerate another tail.

Birds are significant components of biological diversity within the ecosystem. Over 200 species in 38 families can be found in park habitats that range from alpine meadows to low elevation forests and wetlands. Three species; bald eagle, marbled murrelet, and spotted owl are listed as “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act. The rivers, lakes and streams of the North Cascades attract breeding, migrating, and wintering birds. The Skagit River attracts one of the largest wintering concentrations of bald eagles in the continental United States. Clear, fast-flowing rivers and streams host breeding populations of Harlequin ducks.

Many species including raptors that breed further north migrate through this area in spring and fall. Over half of the species breeding, are migratory species. Hummingbirds, flycatchers, vireos, swallows, thrushes, warblers, tanagers, and grosbeaks are among the species that return annually in spring. These migrants fly thousands of miles from their winter homes in the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and even South America to breed in the park. May through July, male olive-sided flycatchers, warbling vireos, Swainson’s thrushes, Wilson’s warblers, and western tanagers sing from conspicuous perches to attract females and defend territories, all part of their annual breeding cycle. In August and September, having raised another generation of offspring and molted new feathers, they migrate south, returning to their winter homes. Birds reflect changes to our environments. By monitoring their populations, distributions, and such demographic attributes as productivity and survival, birds can serve as “early warning signals” for environmental problems occurring in and around the North Cascades.

Salmon are the best known icon of the Pacific Northwest. In spite of the three dams along its length, the Skagit River Watershed is the only watershed in the continental US to have runs of all Pacific salmon species: chinook, coho, chum, pink and sockeye and two anadromous trout. Every autumn between August and December, thousands of salmon work their way up the Skagit River, struggling against the current and leaping high out of the cascading whitewater to reach their spawning beds. The spectacle not only draws curious tourists but also hundreds of bald eagles that come to feed on the salmon and their spawned-out corpses.

While thousands of fish return each year, many salmon runs have been in decline for many years as a result of logging, dams, over-harvesting, cross-breeding with genetically inferior hatchery fish and a variety of other factors. Both Puget Sound Chinook salmon and Coastal Puget Sound bull trout were listed as a threatened species in 1999.

The other varieties of trout found in the waters of the North Cascades include steelhead, resident rainbow, sea-run cutthroat and resident cutthroat, all of which are evolutionary relatives of salmon known as salmonids.

Often a source of revulsion, fear and annoyance, not respect and gratitude, these many-legged, miniscule creatures, called insects, are vital to the Cascades ecosystem. Their creeping and crawling actually helps till the soil, break down nutrients and transport seeds. Being low on the food chain, insects are food for many of the more familiar and well-liked animals. Insects considered by many to be pests, such as mosquitoes, are actually kept in check by the more reviled spiders and migrant birds. In fact, while some of these creatures are considered nuisances, they are not only beneficial to the park environment, but are absolutely essential.

Aquatic insects, known as macro invertebrates, are important food sources for the many species of fish that dwell in the rivers and lakes of the park, but are also important as indicators of water quality and habitat condition. Macro invertebrates live in the water year-round and serve biologists as a sort of barometer of stream health as they are especially sensitive to environmental change and degradation. By studying these small creatures, park biologists are able to identify changes in water habitat not readily apparent through other methods. From beetles to caterpillars to naiads and everything in between, these creatures may be small of stature but they are of great importance.

Wilderness of the North Cascades hosts wildlife less common in the more populated areas of Washington State. 75 mammal species in 21 families can be found in the North Cascades. Three species (gray wolf, grizzly bear, and Canada lynx) are listed as “threatened” or “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act. There have always been grizzly bears in the North Cascades Ecosystem; however, many were killed by trappers, miners, and bounty hunters by 1860. Grizzly bears and gray wolves have both been documented as residing in rugged terrain. Both are emblematic of the need for large contiguous areas of undisturbed wilderness that are necessary for these species to exist.

The estimated current population of grizzly bears within the ecosystem is a maximum of 30-50 bears. Of these, a maximum of 20-30 reside in British Columbia north of Highway 3. Over one-third of 1,586 “black” bears observed in the North Cascades ranged from nearly white to dark brown. In the North Cascades you are sharing a place which is home to bears. Most people who see a bear in the wild consider it the highlight of their trip. The presence of these majestic creatures is a reminder of how privileged we are to share some of the country’s dwindling wilderness. Other species associated with wilderness areas that have been documented in the North Cascades include black bear, wolverine, river otter, cougar, lynx, and bobcat.

Bats, the only mammals capable of true flight, are among our least understood mammals. Twelve species of bats are thought to inhabit the North Cascades. Nocturnal and seldom seen, all bats are insectivorous and most are closely associated with mature forests.

Mule deer, including the black-tailed deer subspecies, are the most common. Rarely elk, moose and mountain goats can be found here. In sub alpine and alpine habitats, hoary marmots are common and can be seen and heard whistling at any sign of predators, such as golden eagles and coyotes. Pikas are common on mid to high elevation talus slopes.

Amongst the crags and ridges of this wilderness dwell supreme mountaineers. Mountain goats are superbly adapted to the harsh conditions of the North Cascades. They traverse the steep terrain aided by their strong muscular forequarters, scrambling over rocky slopes on split, pliable hooves with soft rubbery pads with a hard outer lining. Their compact bodies with thick hollow hair and wool “sub fur” hold heat and repel wind and water.

Mountain goats are not really goats at all, but are members of the antelope family. Mountain goats are native to Alaska, the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, and a few other areas in the lower 48 states.

Mountain goats are specialized in their hoof and body shape so that they can be the most successful travelers on the cliffs where few predators will follow. They are generally herbivores who are able to eat most plants, including lichens. They live at a variety of elevations, near different forest types, but always near cliffs.
In western Washington, mountain goats summer above 5,000 feet (1,500 m) elevation. They are most often observed in meadows, dust baths and on bare rock benches. Many family groups of mountain goats make their home on Mt. Baker and numerous other Cascade peaks. You can sometimes see these animals at a distance from Artist Point and other viewpoints. Mornings and evenings they browse on huckleberry and shrubs. Mid-days they are more sedentary, often resting on snow banks during warm summer afternoons.

In winter, bands of goats move down to lower-elevation. The warmer southern exposure and brisk valley winds keep these ledges free of snow, allowing the goats to forage for lichen, grasses and shrubs on snow free bluffs. Because the best wintering areas are selected for their physical characteristics, and not for the availability of forage, food may be scarce.

Among the rare animals living in the North Cascades Mountains is one that may surprise you – the wolf. Its neighboring public lands in Washington and British Columbia are an impressive expanse of wild country. These lands preserve the hope that animals now rare will have room to live. The wolf’s presence here, though in numbers much reduced from long ago, is testimony to the wildness of these mountains.

Due to the vast amounts of wildlife please do not leave any food or litter on the park trails. Please report all bear sightings to a park ranger. Give them the location of the sighting, length of observation, distance from the bear, and description of the bear and its activity or behavior. See the Wildlife Precautions page for animal safety tips.

There is no entrance fee for North Cascades National Park.

There are no trailhead parking fees for trails that begin on National Park Service lands; however, the Northwest Forest Pass is required at many trailheads on adjacent U.S. Forest Service land with trails that lead in to the national park. This pass is $5.00 per day or $30.00 per year. You may also use the Interagency Passes, Golden Age or Access passes for recreation sites. Passes are available at most ranger stations, many local business, via phone (1-800-270-7504) or the Internet.

Between May 1 and October 31 each year, boaters must have a Dock Fee Permit in order to use the docks in Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. This is the same permit needed for using the docks provided by the U.S. Forest Service along other parts of the Lake Chelan shoreline. The dock pass can be obtained at the Chelan Ranger Station and several stores in Chelan and Stehekin, Washington. This dock pass is $5.00 per day or $40.00 per year.

The North Cascades Area offers a full range of camping experiences. Whether your idea of camping is from a car, RV, boat, or a strenuous trek into the wilderness, there is something for you here at North Cascades National Park.

There are almost 140 backcountry campsites available, from boat-in sites to high alpine backpacking sites. Camping is allowed only at established sites along trail corridors. Camps include toilets, tent pads, and in some cases tables and fire pits. All backcountry sites require a free permit available at ranger stations. Permits are issued on a first come, first served basis.

The North Cascades Complex contains five car-accessible campgrounds plus several group camps. All of which are located along State Route 20, the main road through the park, except for one campground that sits on the north end of Ross Lake and is accessed via Canada Highway 1. Facilities and prices vary to accommodate a variety of visitors Campsites managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Washington State Parks, BC Parks, and private land owners are available outside of the National Park.

Keep in mind that reservations may not be needed ahead of your trip unless you wish to reserve a group camp or a nearby Forest campground. But, for all adventure seekers camping in the park, backcountry permits are required and can be obtained in person up to 24 hours before you enter the Wilderness.
Camp sites are available on a first come first served basis with a $12 per night fee for Colonial Creek and Newhalem Creek campgrounds and a $10 per night fee for Goodell Creek campground. Gorge Lake and Hozomeen campgrounds are free. Backcountry camping (boat-in and wilderness) requires a permit but is free.

Car-camping reservations are available only for the group sites at Newhalem Creek and Goodell Creek and in Loop C at Newhalem Creek campground online at the National Recreation Reservation Service. You may call the NRRS at 1-877-444-6777. Reservations are not available for backcountry (boat-in or wilderness) camping.

Mount Rainier National Park: 199miles

Olympic National Park: 148 miles

Ebey”s Landing National Historical Reserve: 103miles

Klondike Gold Rush – Seattle Unit National Historical Park: 123miles

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area: 166miles

San Juan Island National Historical Park: 123miles

Primary access to the North Cascades and Ross Lake National Recreation Area is off of State Route 20, which connects to I-5 at Burlington. Branch routes lead to Baker Lake (Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest) and the Cascade River. In winter Route 20 is closed at Washington Pass beyond Ross Lake. There is no car access to the Stehekin Valley and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. Take Highway 2 to the town of Chelan where passenger ferry and plane access is available. There is also trail access off of Route 20. The only road access to the shore of Ross Lake is via the Silver-Skagit Road from near Hope, British Columbia.

The nearest major airport is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport near Seattle, Washington. Chelan Airways provides floatplane access to Stehekin in Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.

The Greyhound offers transport along the I-5 corridor in Western Washington and to Wenatchee in Eastern Washington. Connections to county bus systems for Skagit and Whatcom Counties are possible but do not reach into the park complex on the Westside of the mountains.

From Wenatchee, the Link Transit public bus system (no Sunday service) in Chelan County connects to the passenger ferry at Chelan allowing foot passengers to visit Stehekin by boat.

A van shuttle is available in the Stehekin valley from the Stehekin Landing and runs to various lodges, camps and trailheads up valley. Mountain Transporter offers shuttle services to train heads, including airport pick-up.

Passenger boats provide round-trip service between Chelan and Stehekin with scheduled stops at Field’s Point and Lucerne. Daily service is available from mid-March through early fall with reduced service during the winter months. For more information including current schedules visit www.ladyofthelake.com.

Amtrak offers transport along the I-5 corridor in Western Washington and to Wenatchee in Eastern Washington.

Approximate Mileage from the following major cities to North Cascades National Park :

By Car:

Seattle, WA – 126.07 miles

Bellevue, WA – 126.19 miles

Tacoma, WA – 159.32 miles

Portland, OR – 298.86 miles

Naples, ID – 354.17 miles

By Plane:

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport – 139.88 miles

By Ferry:

Chelan, WA – 132.82 miles

Stehekin, WA – 105.93 miles

By Train:

Amtrak offers transportation to Western Washington and to Wenatchee in Eastern Washington.

Write to:

North Cascades National Park Service Complex
810 State Route 20
Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284

Visitor Information
(360) 854-7200

Wilderness Information Center
(360) 854-7245

Fax
(360) 856-1934

Map