How to Enjoy Your Visit to North Cascades National Park

North Cascades National Park, established in 1968, sprawls across 500,000 acres in Washington state. Its highly diverse ecosystem provides visitors with a truly unique sightseeing experience. Follow the steps below to enjoy the must-do activities at North Cascades.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Water
• Park maps

1. Travel to Diablo Lake. The lake has a brilliant turquoise color due to suspended particles of rock which have been deposited by melting glaciers.
2. Visit Lake Chelan which, at 1,500 feet, is one of the deepest lakes in the United States.
3. Drive to the Cascade Pass parking lot to view hanging glaciers on the north face of Johannesburg Peak.
4. Travel to the Diablo Lake Overlook to view Mount Baker and Glacier Peak, the two major volcanic cones at Northern Cascades.
5. Hike through Schrieber's Meadow and turn north along the railroad grade moraine to see the brilliant blue of the Easton Glacier.

Tips & Warnings

• Cougars and humans will sometimes cross paths in the Northern Cascades. Read the park literature to familiarize yourself with the basic procedures to follow should you encounter a cougar.