Managing Editor:
James Perry

The North Cascades National Park Service Complex consists of North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.

North Cascades National Park contains some of America's most breathtakingly beautiful scenery including high jagged peaks, steep ridges, deep valleys, countless cascading waterfalls, and more than 300 glaciers, all within its 505,000 acres.

Ross Lake National Recreation Area, 118,000 acres, provides the corridor for the scenic Washington State Route 20, the North Cascades Highway, and includes three reservoirs, 12,000-acre Ross Lake; 910-acre Diablo Lake; and 210-acre Gorge Lake - water gateways to more remote areas.

Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, 62,000 acres, rests in a glacially carved trough in the Cascades Range. Lake Chelan reaches a depth of 1,500 feet, making it one of the nation's deepest lakes, and offers opportunities for boating, fishing, and lakeshore camping. Though the average width is less than 2 miles, Lake Chelan extends almost 55 miles north to south into the Cascade Mountains. At its deepest point Lake Chelan drops to 400 feet below sea level. The upper 4 miles of this lake are in the National Recreation Area, as is the Stehekin River Drainage.

Over 93 percent of the three National Park Service areas comprising the complex are included in the Stephen Mather Wilderness. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the passage of the Washington Park Wilderness Act of 1988 by which the U.S. Congress established the Stephen Mather Wilderness area and wilderness areas in Washington state's other national parks -- Mount Rainier and Olympic. Public Law 100-668 was signed on November 16, 1988. The name of the designated Wilderness with the North Cascades National Park Service Complex honors the first director of the National Park Service.

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General Information

Location

Northwest Washington State

Headquarters are located west of the park in Sedro-Woolley, Washington.

Visitation

Highest in August; lowest in January; averages just under 400,000 per year.

Address

Headquarters
North Cascades NPS Complex
2105 State Route 20
Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284

Telephone

(360) 856-5700
TDD (360) 856-5700 ext.310

Operating Hours & Seasons

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 partially closed from approximately mid-November to mid-April. Exact opening and closing dates depend on weather, snow depths, and avalanche hazards.

Climate & Recommended Clothing

Generally, the best weather for visiting the North Cascades occurs between mid-June and late-September. Snow is usually melted on all but the highest trails by July. Summer storms are common in this period -- always be prepared for a few days of rain and wind. If you are going into high and remote areas, take good, light rain gear and a tent. Warm, waterproof clothing and a tent are virtually mandatory for spring, fall and winter trips into the backcountry. Heavy snow and rain, depending on elevation, characterize the North Cascades from fall into spring.

Directions

From the east, you'll enter the Ross Lake National Recreation Area on state Route 20 (the North Cascades Highway). The highway takes you though the center of this National Recreation Area. You will enter from the west on the same Route 20.

The only road access from the north to the shore of Ross Lake is via the Silver-Skagit Road (gravel), from near Hope, British Columbia.

Hiking access and roadside views of the northwest corner of the park are available from WA 542, east from Bellingham. (Note: All access roads that lead into the National Park itself are gravel roads.)

The main access to Stehekin, in the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, is by floatplane from the town of Chelan on Highway 97. By boat from Chelan using the Lake Chelan Boat Company. Field's Point (17 miles north of Chelan), or Chelan Airways. There is no road access into Stehekin, or any other part of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. (Note: During summer months, visitors can reach this area via hiking trails.)

Two gravel roads enter North Cascades National Park: the Cascade River Road from Marblemount and the Stehekin Valley Road. Note that the latter does not connect to any roads outside the Stehekin Valley.

Transportation

To Park:

Access to the park is by I-5 and various state highways; an international airport (SeaTac) services Seattle. Mount Vernon has bus service and an Amtrak station, and Chelan has bus service.

In Park

Personal vehicle, bicycle, bus (in Stehekin Valley only), rental boats (outboard, canoe, kayak

- Ross Lake only), and commercial ferry (Lake Chelan) can all give you a good view of the park.

There are bus services in the Stehekin Valley (Lake Chelan National Recreation Area) provided by the National Park Service and the Stehekin Adventures Company. Road conditions permitting, the park service shuttle service will extend from High Bridge 4.5 miles farther up the valley to Bridge Creek (Pacific Crest Trail), and an additional 4.5 miles to Flat Creek. The fare is an additional $5 per person each way for adults and $3 for children under age 16.

From Flat Creek it is an 11.8-mile hike over Cascade Pass to the Cascade River Road. Changes in the channel of the Stehekin River prevent use of the road by vehicles beyond Flat Creek. The buses provide access to many trailheads along the Stehekin Valley Road. Reservations are not needed for the Stehekin Adventures bus, but are highly recommended (and required May 26 - June 18) for the park service shuttle buses due to their smaller capacity. To make a reservation, call (360) 856-5700 ext. 340. Reservations can also be made in person when obtaining the free backcountry permit needed for overnight backpacking trips into the national park or recreation area.

Fees, Costs & Rates

There are no admission fees to enter North Cascades National Park.

Facilities & Opportunities

The North Cascades Visitor Center is located in Newhalem (milepost 120 on state Route 20) in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area. The visitor center is open daily from mid-April to mid-November, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours from July through Labor Day. It is also open Saturday and Sunday through most of the rest of the year. Call the park (360) 856-5700 for current schedule.

The Golden West Visitor Center is located at Stehekin Landing in the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. The center is open mid-March through mid-October with hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There are shorter hours during the remainder of the year.

Food & Supplies

Food and other supplies are available in Concrete, Marblemount, Newhalem (limited), Chelan and Stehekin (limited). A number of outfitters have permits to outfit and guide horseback trips, hiking trips, technical climbs, and float trips. If youre in need of food or supplies, the park service and U.S. Forest Service operate an information station at 2105 State Route 20 in Sedro-Woolley, to the west of the park.

Special Events & Programs

Earth Day and Earth Week are marked each year with special guided hikes, talks, potluck, and many more activities at the North Cascades Visitor Center and elsewhere in Ross Lake National Recreation Area.

The Golden West Gallery in the Golden West Visitor Center at Stehekin features new exhibits every three weeks by artists and craftspeople of the area during the summer. Workshops and other programs by the exhibitors demonstrate or explain their work and how the landscape of the North Cascades has inspired them.

The North Cascades Institute, a non-profit educational institution working cooperatively with the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service, offers adult seminars and environmental education programs for children in and around the North Cascades. For a catalog and other information, write North Cascades Institute, 2105 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284, or call (360) 856-5700 ext. 209.

Adjacent Visitor Attractions

The following is a list of attractions near North Cascades National Park:

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (Heather Meadows, Mt. Baker, Baker Lake, Skagit Wild and Scenic River)
San Juan Island National Historic Park
Mount Rainier National Park
Olympic National Park
Mount St. Helens National Monument
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve
Okanogan National Forest.

In British Columbia just north of North Cascades National Park:

Skagit Valley Provincial Park
Manning Provincial Park
Cathedral Provincial Park

The North Cascades National Park Service Complex is in the middle of millions of acres of public lands that Congress has designated wilderness The Pacific Crest Trail, stretching from Mexico to Canada, passes through the area. For information about trails, campgrounds, and other facilities on federal public lands around North Cascades National Park, contact:

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Supervisor's Office
21905 64th Ave. W
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043
(800) 627-0062 or TDD (800) 272-1215
(206) 775-9702

Mt. Baker Ranger District

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
2105 State Route 20
Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
(360) 856-5700

Wenatchee National Forest

Chelan Ranger District
428 W. Woodin Ave.
Chelan, WA 98816
(509) 682-2576

Okanogan National Forest

Methow Valley Ranger District
Twisp Office
P.O. Box 188
502 Glover
Twisp, WA 98856
(509) 997-2131 TDD ext.9725

Methow Valley Visitor Center
P.O. Box 579
Winthrop, WA 98862
(509) 996-4000

Okanogan National Forest
Supervisor's Office
1240 South Second Avenue
Okanogan, WA 98840-9723
(509) 422-2014 TDD ext.3765

Programs & Activities

Most scheduled programs take place July through September and during winter holidays. Regularly scheduled programs during the summer range from talks and demonstrations at the visitor centers, to guided hikes, children's programs, and evening presentations in the campgrounds. Topics span a wide range of natural and cultural history. The park complex has many wayside exhibits, museum exhibits at both visitor centers, and five self-guiding interpretive trails. The Newhalem Creek Rockshelter Trail (universally accessible), with interpretations about archeology and the long span of human activity in the North Cascades, is now complete. It is located off state Route 20 near the town of Newhalem, in Ross Lake National Recreation Area. The Golden West Gallery in the visitor center at Stehekin features a new exhibit of locally and regionally produced arts and crafts related to the experience of people in the North Cascades every three weeks during the summer. For up-to-date information call (360) 856-5700.

Trails & Roads

The park maintains 386 miles of trails throughout the North Cascades Complex. The trails vary in degree of difficulty and access. For information on specific trails, see the trails section or call the Wilderness Information Center at (360) 873-4500 from May through September or park headquarters at (360) 856-5700 the rest of the year.

A free permit is required for overnight stays in the backcountry. These must be obtained in person at the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount (for any area of the backcountry), the Golden West Visitor Center (for hikes starting in the Stehekin Valley), or the Glacier Public Service Center (for hikes starting from the Mt. Baker Highway). Certain hikes may also be permitted at other National Park Service or U.S. Forest Service stations near the park complex. The most up-do-date and complete information on trail and climbing conditions is available at the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount (near milepost 105 on state Route 20) or the Golden West Visitor Center in Stehekin. These are the best places to obtain backcountry information and permits.

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History

A Brief Geologic History

The Cascade Mountain Range runs 500 miles from northern California to British Columbia. Where the Cascades reach northwest Washington, the mountains are truly breathtaking - they are higher in other parts of the range, but nowhere are they as dramatic. Jagged, rocky peaks of up to 10,000 feet give way precipitously to near-sea level valleys; glaciers clinging dizzyingly to the sides of foreboding slopes; everywhere waterfalls tumble down from the mountains, the characteristic that gave the Cascades its name.

Many millions of years ago, before it bumped into North America, this region was an itinerant landmass drifting in the Pacific Ocean. The mountain-building forces at work before and since that unification - accumulation of sediment from pre-historic seas, colliding tectonic plates, and volcanic activity - have combined to create one of the fastest growing mountain ranges in the world. Indeed, the North Cascades would be even taller if the counteracting forces of water and glaciers did not conspire to keep the mountains at more modest heights.

Still, the elevation from valleys to summits throughout the North Cascades can exceed 5,000 feet - a relief as great as any other range in the United States. The steep and imposing North Cascades presented a formidable barrier to early European explorers, and the names they gave some of these mountains betray their dread: Mt. Terror, Mt. Challenger, Mt. Fury, Mt. Despair, Mt. Torment and Desolation Peak.

Glaciers

One of the most striking features of the North Cascades is the fantastic number of glaciers in the region. These mountains are home to more than 300 - more than half the glaciers in the contiguous United States. Glaciers are formed when snow accumulates faster than the summer sun can melt it. The weight of this continuous buildup of snow is immense and causes the snow to compact into ice, which then slowly moves downhill. As glaciers move, they gouge and scrape the land and redefine landscapes. Mountains may appear to be in suspended animation but, like anything else, they are in a continuous state of change.

The reason the North Cascades contain such an abundance of glaciers is because western Washington receives a lot of snow, especially in the mountains. Weather moves from west to east across North America, so clouds that pick up moisture in the nearby North Pacific must rise to get over the mountains. As clouds gain altitude the temperature drops, causing the water vapor to condense and fall to earth as rain and snow.

By the time the clouds cross into the rain shadow of the eastern side of the range, they are mostly spent and contain significantly less moisture. The average precipitation on the western slope is 112 in., but the Pasayten Wilderness on the east side of the range averages only 12 in.

Water is the life force of the North Cascades. It falls from the sky, trickles off mountains, replenishes lakes, and flows to the sea. Within the Puget Sound watershed, the Skagit is the largest river. With its 2,900 streams, the Skagit River accounts for 20 percent of the water that empties into Puget Sound.

All five species of salmon and two species of anadramous trout (trout that go from fresh water to salt water and return to spawn upriver) begin life in the cool gravel bottoms of the Skagit River system. In odd-numbered years, as many as one million pink salmon spawn in the Skagit. In 1996, 152,000 Chum salmon - a 10-year high - also returned to the Skagit.

Because of the healthy salmon runs, the Skagit hosts one of the largest wintering bald eagle populations in the lower 48 states; spawned-out carcasses of Chum salmon are the eagles most important source of food during winter. In some years, as many as 500 bald eagles spend the winter along the Skagit River.

Between the craggy peaks and the cool rivers, lush temperate forests blanket the lowlands on the western side of the North Cascades. These forests, which are home to some of the nations most extensive stands of remaining old growth, produce trees of exceptional size and age. Some Douglas Firs, for example, grow to 250 feet and live up to 1,000 years.

Western slope forests also produce an astonishing quantity of vegetation. In terms of sheer plant volume, the forests of the Northwest are unbeatable; they contain more accumulated biomass than any other forests in the world.

From rivers to glaciers, valleys to summits, the North Cascades are one of the most extraordinary ecosystems in the world. North Cascades National Park and the Mt. Baker Range District invite you to step into the wild to experience this magnificent wilderness for yourself.

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Reservation Information

No reservations can be made for camp sites except those designed for groups. A free permit is required for overnight stays in the backcountry. These must be obtained in person at the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount (for any area of the backcountry), the Golden West Visitor Center (for hikes starting in the Stehekin Valley), or the Glacier Public Service Center (for hikes starting from the Mt. Baker Highway). Certain hikes may also be permitted at other National Park Service or U.S. Forest Service stations near the park complex. The most up-do-date and complete information on trail and climbing conditions is available at the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount (near milepost 105 on State Route 20) or the Golden West Visitor Center in Stehekin. These are the best places to obtain backcountry information and permits.

Permits are issued in person only, on the day the trip is to begin or the day before. Camping is permitted only at designated sites or in a cross-country manner, which requires being more than 0.5 miles from trails and more than 1 mile from designated campsites. Permits are available from park offices and ranger stations. For more information, write the Wilderness District Office, 6247 Ranger Station Road, Marblemount, WA, 98267. Or call (360) 873-4500.

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