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5. Cascade Pass Trailhead
Breathe in the crisp mountain air as you stand amidst majestic peaks, waterfalls, and glaciers! A visit to Cascade Pass is essential if you’re hoping to grasp the immensity of the North Cascades.
What You Need to Know
The most common reason to drive to this trailhead is to make the 7-mile trek to Cascade Pass, which I highly recommend. If a hike of that magnitude is not an option for you, then make the drive to the trailhead anyway. It’s absolutely worth it!
From the trailhead alone, you’ll be treated to phenomenal views as you stand surrounded by mountains. If you hang around for a while, you may even be lucky enough to witness the snow and ice thunderously fall from the hanging glaciers on Johannesburg Mountain—now that’s an unforgettable experience!
Because North Cascades is a national park complex, if you only stick to the main highway, you’ll spend all of your time in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area. You’ll never actually set foot within the North Cascades National Park boundaries! If it’s important to you to stand in the actual national park, driving up to the Cascade Pass Trailhead is the easiest way to do it.
Pets are not permitted on this trail.
Getting Here
Cascade Pass is located within the actual boundaries of North Cascades National Park and is accessed via a narrow, curvy, and mostly unpaved mountain road. Some parts of this road are only wide enough for one car, especially near the end, so please take care and drive slowly. It’s not a good idea to bring an RV or trailer up here.
From the town of Marblemount, take a right onto the Cascade River Road (look for this road in the curve where the Highway makes a 90-degree turn north). Drive for 23 miles until the road dead-ends at the trailhead.
6. Thunder Knob
Hike through the forest to the top of this small, but charming peak! This trail travels above Diablo Lake for rewarding views of Jack Mountain, Pyramid Peak, and Colonial Peak.
What You Need to Know
The family-friendly Thunder Knob trail is 3.6 miles roundtrip and gains 425 feet of elevation. Your hike begins with several bridges over the creek and a few switchbacks through the forest. As you get closer to the top, the vegetation starts to thin out, and the trail becomes dry and exposed.
Several benches along the way highlight the beautiful views you won’t want to miss! The trail ends with several wonderful overlooks at the top of the knoll.
Getting Here
Thunder Knob is located in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area. From the North Cascades Visitor Center, drive east on Highway 20 for 10.3 miles until you reach the entrance to the Colonial Creek Campground. Don’t turn into the campground, but look for the small parking area on your left (just before you cross the bridge over Diablo Lake). The trail begins here.
7. Washington Pass Overlook
Are you ready to be overcome by the sheer beauty and splendor of the North Cascades? This high elevation mountain pass will absolutely take your breath away!
What You Need to Know
A short 0.25-mile path takes you out to the vertigo-inducing ledge of the Washington Pass Overlook. At 5,477 feet, Washington Pass marks the highest elevation along the North Cascades Highway.
Liberty Bell Mountain, with its impressive 8,000-foot spires, is the most notable landmark from this viewpoint.
Getting Here
The Washington Pass Overlook is located in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, which borders the national park complex. From the North Cascades Visitor Center, drive 42 miles east on Highway 20 until you reach the parking area for the overlook on your left.
8. Stehekin
Visit this quaint village tucked away in the shadows of the North Cascades. The most exciting part? The only way to get here is by boat, plane, or on foot!
What You Need to Know
Stehekin is a small town that sits on the sparkling shores of Lake Chelan, the third deepest lake in America. It’s incredibly isolated so you can enjoy the spectacular 360-degree mountain views in peace and solitude!
Aside from the fantastic hiking trails available here, you’ll also find the most incredible little pastry shop, a national park visitor center, an orchard, a waterfall tour, and adventurous opportunities like fishing, kayaking, horseback riding, and bicycling. Click here for more information.
Getting Here
Stehekin is located in the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, and you can find more information on how to get here on the NPS website.
Looking for a longer dayhike? Check out the Cascade Pass to Sahale Arm or Maple Pass trails.
Have a fabulous time in North Cascades National Park. Happy trails!
I am a bit worried about encountering bears in the more remote areas. What are your thoughts on this?
There are definitely bears! Read through this Bear Safety article before you go, and take bear spray!
Hey Ash and team,
We are really enjoying your itineraries and podcasts, Olympic this July will be our 4th.
Question on North Cascades. We were planning on trying the Cascade Pass trail, but if the road is not open yet, I don’t think we’ll have time for the extra 6 miles. Would you have an alternate hike recommendation that would be in the 4-7 mile range – likely near Cascade Pass or between there and Diablo Lake area?
Thanks so much!
For first-time visitors looking for a longer trail, I recommend either Cascade Pass or Maple Pass Loop. Maple Pass isn’t on the side of the park you’re hoping for, but it’s absolutely worth the extra drivetime to get out on that trail if you can’t do Cascade Pass!
We have been using “Dirt in my shoes” exclusively for all our NP trip planning and visits. THANK YOU for providing us with such wonderful info.
We are planning to visit Washington State National Parks October 8-15th 2023. How much time do you suggest in each of the parks. We are traveling with two children (13 and 11) and we are okay hiking upto 7-8 miles roundtrip. Thank you in advance
Hey Div! I would spend 1-2 days in North Cascades, 3-4 days in Olympic, and 3-4 days in Rainier!
Hello, I am heading to Washington in June. Would you be able to provide epic wildflower hikes, and must see hikes in North Cascades please? I will only be at this park for one day, and I want to make the most of it. Thank you!
June is a little early for the higher elevations in North Cascades, so you’ll likely have to play it by ear as it gets closer to your trip. But otherwise, I’d just work your way through this list!
Hi Ash,
Thanks in advance for sharing your recommendations! I was able to book an Air B&B near Marblemount just outside the park entrance to share with friends from 7/18-7/21 with hopes of seeing a lot of wild flowers. Based on some research, since this will be my first time in the area, the hikes I have selected for the days I am there are Cascade Pass to Sahale Arm, Hike Hidden Lake lookout, and Maple Pass loop. Based on your experience, is it likely that the snow will have melted enough on these trails by then to safely do these hikes and see plentiful wildflowers. If not, what would be your suggestions for alternates?
Usually, yes, the snow would probably be mostly melted by then. This year was a high snow year out west, so there might be more lingering snow in July. I would keep those trails your top picks and watch the snow levels until it gets closer to your trip!
How many nights do you recommend staying at the Lodge in Stehekin?
I’d stay at least two so that you can have one full day in the area. Have fun!
Thank you so much for this! Really helpful!
Do you have info on driving the loop from Seattle and back. I have a hotel reservation in Burlington and rear somewhere to drive the loop. Do you recommend?
Hi there. Thanks for all the wonderful tips, so excited to visit. If you have time for one trail would you chose N. Cascades without Sahale arm or Maple Pass? Most stunning? I see both are and can’t decide. Thank you.
You honestly can’t go wrong either way! I know that’s not very helpful, but you’ll want to go back and hike whatever trail you don’t get to either way :)
Hi my husband and I are driving out to Washington and Oregon with our Subaru Outback, a tent and air mattress. Traveling the month of September. We just turned 70 and do a lot of tent camping easier for getting in and out all over. Thanks for all the info you gave in your article above can’t wait to travel. If you have any advise for us let us know. We travel at this time because kids are back in school and parks are less busy.
Thanks Gerri
Sounds amazing! Enjoy your trip!
Hi,
I have two days to visit the cascades 6/14 -6/15. However weather looks rainy and was wondering if it’s still worth going. Will I be able to get clear photos or will visibility be limited?
I used your recommendations for Grand Teton and Yellowstone this past week…what a life saver.
Thanks,
Ivy
When you’re in the mountains, the weather can change in an instant. Even if it’s rainy, you may still have higher clouds which will provide views…or things may totally be socked in with no views. It’s hard to say, but it’s a beautiful place regardless!
We will be traveling to North Cascades mid September. What is the weather like at that time? How should we dress?
Wear layers — the mountains often start getting smaller snowstorms in September, but the weather can also be quite pleasant.
Your site is wonderful. Thank you for all of the information. We are traveling there from June 11-14. We have three children under 10 so we aren’t going to be doing any major hikes, but based on your recommendations we should still have plenty to do and see when we are there. Do you think, even with a late thaw this year that we will be hindered from anything more than the alpine trails?
Thank you in advance,
George
If you’re staying along the main road and not hiking into the mountains, you should be ok. Maybe some patchy snow, but most low-elevation activities should be accessible by then. Safe travels!
Can you give any suggestions for me — my family (kids 10 and 8) want to do a hike but we will also have my elderly parents with us. Can I drop off my parents somewhere for them to be entertained enough while we do a 1-2 hour hike close by?
In North Cascades, you typically find really short hikes or really long ones. If you’re looking for a hike that will only take a few hours, the Thunder Knob Trail is a good choice. It leaves from the shores of Diablo Lake, so your parents could stay there and admire the views/relax while you hike. Newhalem is nearby, but there’s not a whole lot to do there….a few short trails and a visitor center. Either way, they could probably stay entertained for a little while.
Hello, this is great information, thank you for that. My wife and I are taking a long weekend for March 26-29. We plan to spend 1 day in north cascades NP for 1 day, then 1 day in Mt Rainer, and 1 day in Olympic NP. We obviously have little time in each place and are unsure about what impact weather will have. If this was you taking this trip, what must see places or things would you do or things to watch out for our to avoid. Thank you, Jason
At this time of year, you’ll be limited to the activities that are west of Colonial Creek. Ladder Creek, Sterling Munro, and Thunder Knob (will be snowy and may not be hikeable) should be open. The Gorge Dam/Falls area should be open as well…and The Trail of the Cedars in Newhalem. Your epic mountain views will be limited in North Cascades — it’s a very raw and wild park without many short trails, so if the road is mostly closed then you’re definitely limited in what you can do. I hope you enjoy it! It should be a beautiful winter wonderland!
Hi!!
This is incredible!!! You mentioned staying in different towns on each side to reduce driving. I was wondering which two towns you would recommend for each side. We’ll probably be staying in cabins.
Thank you so much!!!
-Gurion
I like to split my time between the Newhalem area and Winthrop!
Have been visiting my daughter for years, never realized North Cascade NP is so close until I got the book Treasured Land which talk about all the National Parks. Planning to explore this park and taking Landscape photos. Photography is my hobby. do you have a suggested daily itinerary. time is not an issue. Planning on renting a camper van and stay in the vehicle campground for a week. Any additional sites to visit? We can do 4 to 5 miles round trip hike, a day hike.
If you can respond to my email also, will be appreciated.
There is so much to explore in that area! I don’t have a daily itinerary written for this park, but I’d take a couple of days to work through this list and then you can add in some longer dayhikes for your remaining days. Adding in more hiking will allow you to see many beautiful things during your time here. Have fun!
Hi! We’ll be camping at Newhalem Campground in North Cascades for 2 nights next weekend. We’re from the east coast, staying in a camper van and excited to see the area but are a little concerned about the bears. We would like to hike some trails in the park but there’s just 2 of us and with black and especially grizzly bears around, we aren’t sure of the best approach. I don’t want to miss out on experiencing the park but we want to be cautious. Do you have any recommendations for hiking in that area to be safe?
I suggest learning best practices when it comes to bear safety, and hiking with bear spray if you can. You can get more info here: Bear Safety 101 – Preventing an Encounter Have fun!
What a great article! Can’t wait to visit summer ’21.
We will be staying in our RV. We prefer camping with hook-ups. Would Winthrop/N Cascades KOA be better or Alpine RV Park in Marblemount for access to the sights? We do plan to hike Cascade Pass and it looks to me that Alpine RV would be better but I’m not sure!
Thank you!
Winthrop is a little further out than Marblemount, so you’d be doing more driving from there. But it’s a more interesting and fun town! We like to split our trips between both sides to cut down on driving, but you’ll be fine either way. Have fun!
Wow! This is perfect! Thanks for explaining with such detail.
Of course! Safe travels!
Hello Ash!
Planning a tear drop camping trip to the Pacific NW in late July this year (2020). We will stop at Lassen Volcanic NP, Redwood NP, Crater Lake NP, Olympic NP and North Cascades NP before heading back home to NC. With so much ground to cover and limited to 3 weeks time, I found it hard to decide on a priority list of things to see and do at each park. Your website has been extremely helpful in that regard! Thanks so much for all of your hard work!!
Thanks Michael! Have a fantastic trip!
Many thanks for this excellent introduction to the park. I did 1-7 in a single (very full) day.
For planning purposes, the seven run from east to west off Highway 20 in this order: 7,4,1,6,2,3,5. My ranking for sheer breathtaking beauty: 1,7,5,6,3,4,2. Diablo Lake Overlook (1) alone is worth the visit to the park, and its accessibility (just pull off the highway — no hiking!) makes it possible for everyone to enjoy. (My “beauty” ranking does not take into account the amount of time needed to get to the sight. Number 5 (Cascade Pass) took five hours to do the drive from Highway 20, hike to the Pass and back down, and return to Highway 20. 1,2,3,7 are all right off the highway and can be done in 15 minutes or less if you are in a hurry — which you shouldn’t be in this beautiful place!)
I might have ranked Rainy Lake higher if conditions were better. It was overcast, so no sun sparkling off the lake, and in August, the waterfall was relatively thin. Since it is far off on the other side of the lake from where the trail ends, it was a less compelling sight than it must be when the runoff is fuller.
Thanks again. This guide was a great way to get the most of the limited time I had to visit.
Thanks for the feedback Rich! I’m grateful for the time you took to share your experience in the park. You packed in a lot and it sounds like it was a great trip!
Thanks so much for providing the time it took for your Cascade Pass adventure. We’re planning to do this as well, and with having our dog in our RV while we hike, we’re always thinking about how long things take (and we’re always mindful of temperature!) That was very helpful to hear your experience, so thank you!
This is SUCH good info, Rich! We are looking to take a ONE day trip up since all motels/airbnbs are booked out through the summer. I was hesitant to drive all the way up there but your comment makes it seem like we could (and SHOULD) do it! With 3 kids in tow, we try to take all “time spent in car” into account and I sincerely appreciate your comments on your one day accomplishment!
Ash I was so thrilled to find your blog. We are currently living in Keizer Oregon and were looking for a fun memorial day trip without too many crowds. We heard this is one of the least visited National Parks and thought we’d drive up to enjoy its beauty. Thanks for your posts, intricate instructions, and beautiful photography. We’re excited to check it out and maybe even take some pictures of some of our Washington 3d printed earrings while we’re there. ;)
I’ll be checking back in on your blog as we continue to plan more adventures to local national parks before we move away from the area. Thanks again!
Thanks Amber! Hope you had a great Memorial Day vacation!