North Cascades National Park -- Don't Miss It
Written: Oct 07 '00 (Updated Oct 07 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful scenery, lots to see
Cons: Some attractions not well posted
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| Rocketgirl's Full Review: North Cascades National Park |
Review Topic: Sights & Attractions
I had visited North Cascades National Park as a teenager, but couldn't really remember much about it. When I went back this year, nothing looked familiar, so it was like I had never been there. The park is located in north central Washington State. It is traversed by the North Cascades Highway, State Road 20.
This is one of the few national parks that doesn't require an entry fee. Perhaps that is because SR 20 is the only way to get from Puget Sound to the other site of the mountains in that part of the state. The park is not a side road. The only fees that I could find included a five dollar fee to park at certain trail heads. Asking the park ranger at the visitor center which trail heads required the parking permit, she stated those not located in towns or campgrounds. We bought a permit just to be sure. It was cheaper than the fine would have been. I believe their is a small fee for backpackers on overnight trips, but it is very small.
Anyway, on to the attractions! North Cascades National Park has only existed since about 1972. It is undeveloped compared to many other national parks. Besides SR 20 there are only two other side roads into the wilderness and they are gravel. There are many long distance trails off these roads. The scenery to be seen from them is spectacular. The North Cascades have many rugged peaks, some of them so rugged that they down hold alot of snow, their slopes are so steep. This is the country of mountain goats.
If you plan to stick to the main highway, there is still plenty for you to see. You'll want to make your first stop the visitor center at Newhalem. There you will get the park map that shows most of the major attractions. There are some nice exhibits and a short movie describing the flora and fauna of the North Cascades. There is also a small gift shop. Just outside is a short walk with a spectacular view of the Pickett Range.
Continue up the road just a short distance and you'll come to the first of three dams on the Skagit River. Just above the dam, Ladder Creek dumps into the river. A pretty about half mile walk takes you through a rock garden, through ferns and trees, to the falls. Though not huge the falls are very interesting because they are cutting through such a narrow channel of solid rock. The falls are lit with colored lights at night. If you're in a hurry, there is a short cut to the falls behind the dam's power plant. Smaller rapids below the falls are also pretty.
Another spectacular falls on this route are the Gorge Creek Falls. The falls a couple of hundred feet and continues into smaller cascades as the creek meets the Skagit River. The falls are visible from the highway, but you'll want to park at the lot to get a good look. Its a long a way down there to the creek. At the same stop on the other side of the road is another walk of about a quarter mile that has nice views of the mountains, the Gorge Dam below and the west end of Gorge Lake. The lake is a beautiful turquoise color.
One of my favorites was Happy Creek Forest Walk. The trail is built entirely on a boardwalk, so one of the trails that is wheelchair accessible. The trail is about a third of a mile in a loop. It has interpretive signs along the way to explain the ecology of the forest. The forest was beautiful and of course it smelled so wonderful. While there, I had the pleasure of seeing a huge owl take off from a tree and disappear. It screeched as it flew. A lady there, who happened to be a birder, said she thought it was a barn owl. It was one of the highlights of my trip.
Another highlight is Washington Pass Overlook. Amazingly, even though it was only mid September, it was actually snowing at the pass. It is probably normal for that area, but amazing since when I started out that morning it was clear, sunny, and about 55 degrees. There is a visitor center at the pass, though closed when I got there. A short, quarter mile walk leads you to several viewpoints of the pass and the famous Liberty Bell Mountain. The top of the mountain looks kind of like the two posts that hold up the liberty bell with a shorter flatter spot in the middle. It is an especially awe-inspiring peak because it is so steep and rocky. The other peaks around it are beautiful also. The trail curves around the side of a ledge allowing several spectacular views. As it was snowing, I didn't linger too long, but enjoyed being able to take pictures of the low clouds in the mountains.
There are many other sights to see. There are several other short and long trails. One trail gives access to the Pacific Coast trail, which follows the entire Cascades north to south. Many other trails and hike-in campgrounds are available. Some areas are only accessible by boat. Diablo Lake and Ross Lake are popular fishing and boating areas. There are always opportunities to see wildlife, such as bears, deer, chipmunks and squirrels, mountain goats, mountain lions, and bald eagles. Because of the early snow the road usually closes about mid November and opens again in April. This makes access to the park somewhat limited. But it is worth seeing and waiting for good weather. Since I saw it in fall, the leaves were turning color, also making it very beautiful.
If you're not the camping type (I'm not), Winthrop makes a good headquarters. It is about 25 miles from the park's west entrance. It has been rejuvenated as an Old West town and still retains its board sidewalks and false fronts from the old days. Three-Fingered Jack's Saloon is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. All around the town, I saw lots of deer. Just outside town, about two dozen were having their dinner in a field.
The National Park Service maintains lots of good information about the park on its website at http://www.nps.gov/noca. The site will tell about fees, hunting/fishing seasons, trails, weather, and road closures. If you live out of state, you should probably check it before coming here. The park is well worth going out of your way to see.
Recommended:
Yes
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Rocketgirl
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Member: Beth
Location: Tri-Cities, WA
Reviews written: 397
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So many books, so little time.
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