9 Must-Do Activities in the North Cascades National Park Service Complex

Dotted by turquoise lakes and half of all glaciers in the contiguous United States, covered by forests and threaded by rivers, the North Cascades is a vast wilderness in northern Washington State.

Steep slopes converge in narrow valleys, where waterfalls tumble and wildlife thrives. From those valleys, bisected by rivers, trails lead deep into the exhilarating North Cascades wilderness.

Must-Do Activities in the North Cascades National Park Service Complex

This is one of the least visited national parks in America, part of a larger complex consisting of three National Park Service units.

Besides North Cascades National Park, there’s also Ross Lake National Recreation Lake, which splits the national park into a northern and southern part, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area in the south.

In this post about the top attractions and activities in the North Cascades National Park Service Complex, I’ll focus on the most accessible area of the complex: the North Cascades Scenic Highway.

This superb mountain highway parallels the Skagit River in Ross Lake National Recreation Area. Along the way, you’ll find numerous trailheads, overlooks and other North Cascades attractions.

9 Top Things to Do in the North Cascades, Washington

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Drive the North Cascades Scenic Highway 20

Making up the northern section of Washington’s fantastic Cascade Loop, the North Cascades Scenic Highway (State Route 20) meanders along the wild and scenic Skagit River.

First passing through gateway communities like Rockport and Marblemount, the road continues through the heart of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.

Almost all of the top things to do in the North Cascades that I’ll talk about below are along this spectacular mountain road.

This is where you’ll find the North Cascades Visitor Center in Newhalem, various lakes (Gorge, Diablo and Ross) whose dams power the city of Seattle, and numerous epic hiking trails.

Note: The North Cascades Scenic Highway runs through Ross Lake National Recreation Area (see the map at the end of this post). Although it doesn’t enter North Cascades National Park itself, there are several trails along the way that do lead into the national park.

Hike the Cascade Pass Trail

The most popular hike in North Cascades National Park, the Cascade Pass Trail is actually the only trailhead in the national park that’s accessible by car.

It lies at the end of the long, winding and sometimes-bumpy Cascade River Road—the only road into North Cascades National Park, 94% of which is designated wilderness.

The road starts in the small community of Marblemount, off of Highway 20. It runs eastward for 23 miles, the last section of which is unpaved, along the Cascade River and deep into the mountains.

The hike begins at the parking lot at road’s end, underneath massive Johannesburg Mountain and its glaciers and roaring cascades. At first, you’ll hike through a beautiful forest, a section made up a literally dozens of switchbacks.

Eventually, you’ll pop out of the woods and into an area of glorious alpine meadows, snow fields, glaciers, jagged peaks and wildflowers.

Once you’re in that alpine environment, look for wildlife on the slopes around you. We saw several mountain goats running down the mountainsides. Sightings of marmots, black bears and even wolverines are not unusual either.

The Cascade Pass Trail is a moderate there-and-back hike with a total distance of 7.4 miles. Count on 4-5 hours for the entire hike.

If you’re feeling like hiking some more, you can continue on the Sahale Arm Trail for more breathtaking views. Additionally, backpackers can thru-hike to the remote lakeshore town of Stehekin on the Cascade Pass Trail.

If you like day hikes, this is easily one of the best things to do in North Cascades National Park. In fact, this is easily one the most spectacular day hikes in the national parks.

Enjoy Spectacular Views from Diablo Lake Overlook

Created by a dam in the Skagit River built by Seattle City in 1930, Diablo Lake is now one of the natural wonders of the North Cascades. Although obviously man-made, it’s an absolutely stunning lake.

The best panoramic views are from the Diablo Lake Overlook, located at MP 132 on the North Cascades Scenic Highway. There’s a huge parking lot, picnic tables, restrooms and information panels.

The views are jaw-dropping and arguably at their very best in the middle of the day, when bright sunlight enhances the water’s extraordinary turquoise color.

Undoubtedly among the best viewpoints in the national parks system, this is easily one of the top activities in the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.

Camp at Colonial Creek Campground

One of our all-time favorite national park campgrounds, the Colonial Creek Campground is on the southern shore of Diablo Lake.

Reservations are necessary for the 93 sites on the South Loop, while the smaller North Loop’s 42 sites are first-come first-served.

When we camped at Colonial Creek, we managed to get one of the walk-in sites on the very shore of Diablo Lake. (Even though they’re called “walk-in”, that walk from your vehicle to your site is no more than just a few dozen steps.)

If you have a kayak or canoe, you can launch it right from your campsite.

Two trails start at this campground—the Thunder Knob Trail and Thunder Creek Trail. Additionally, this world-class campground is only 15 minutes or less from other North Cascades attractions like the spectacular Diablo Lake Overlook and Ross Lake Dam.

For an immersive visit to the North Cascades National Park Service Complex, you should spend a couple of nights there. The Colonial Creek Campground is by far the best place to pitch your tent or park your RV. (There are no hookups, though.)

Kayak on Diablo Lake

I said it above: when camping at one of the lakeshore sites at Colonial Creek, you can launch your kayak, canoe or SUP from your very campsite. Alternatively, there’s also a popular boat launch near the campground entrance.

Diablo Lake is one of the top attractions in the North Cascades and, while the view from the Diablo Lake Overlook is phenomenal, spending an afternoon actually on the lake is even better.

We spent several hours paddling around this mesmerizingly blue lake in our inflatable Intex Explorer K2 Kayak—incidentally one of the best outdoor gear purchases we’ve ever made.

Hike to Ross Dam and Ross Lake Resort

An often-overlooked and perhaps underrated hike, I personally think hiking to Ross Dam and the wonderful Ross Lake Resort is one of the essential things to do in the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.

After all, this whole area is characterized by man-made power dams—there are three. You may as well go see one of them.

From the Ross Dam Trailhead (MP 134), the Ross Dam Trail runs 0.75 steep miles down to the dam. You can walk across the dam, gaze down into its southwestern abyss and enjoy beautiful views of Ross Lake to the east.

I strongly recommend continuing on to the Ross Lake Resort on the trail at the far end of the dam. It’s about 1 mile from the Ross Lake Dam to the Ross Lake Resort.

There are only two resorts in the entire North Cascades National Park Service Complex. Both are only accessible on foot or by boat. The Ross Lake Resort is by far the most easily reachable of the two. It only takes a short hike and/or quick boat ride from the trailhead.

In addition to offering scenic cabin accommodation on the lake, this is also the only place in this part of the NPS Complex where you can rent boats, canoes and kayaks.

Visit Washington Pass Overlook

The highest point on the North Cascades Scenic Highway, the Washington Pass Overlook (MP 162) offers great views of Liberty Bell and Early Winters Spires.

Although not technically located within the North Cascades National Park Service Complex—it’s to the east in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest—this overlook still offers some of the best accessible views in the North Cascades. It’d be a shame to miss it!

Hike the Breathtaking Maple Pass Loop

One of my favorite hikes in the North Cascades National Park Complex, the Maple Pass Loop starts at the Rainy Pass Trailhead (MP 158).

Although most of this hike is also in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, it does skirt the boundary of North Cascades National Park at its highest section.

This is a sensational circuit hike, offering amazing views basically the entire way. It’s a 7.2-mile loop around picturesque Lake Ann and across beautiful alpine meadows, filled with all kinds of wildflowers in summer.

In the fall, alpine larches and red huckleberry bushes provide glorious fall colors.

This five-star hike is definitely one of the best things to do in the North Cascades. With a 2,000-foot elevation gain, it’s moderately strenuous, yet doable for most people with a decent fitness level. For the best views, hike in a counterclockwise direction.

Due to its accessibility—the trailhead is just off of the North Cascades Scenic Highway—and sensational scenery, this is a super-popular hike, though.

In summer, I recommend getting there early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the majority of day hikers have left. A top hike, for sure, and one of the best activities in the North Cascades!

Try to Spot Some of the North Cascades Wildlife

As such a vast mountain wilderness area in northern Washington State, the North Cascades National Park Complex is a refuge for lots of animal species. Commonly seen wildlife includes mule deer and hoary marmots, while coyotes and black bears are abundant as well.

At higher elevations, you have a great chance of spotting mountain goats, especially on the glorious Cascade Pass Trail. Cute pikas can be seen feverishly commuting across talus slopes.

In the valleys, (very) lucky hikers might see the occasional moose or elk, although they’re rather uncommon. A truly once-in-a-lifetime experience would be seeing a wolverine. Don’t forget to look up either; it’s not unusual to see a golden eagle soaring high in the sky.

The North Cascades are also home to a couple of iconic threatened or endangered mammal species. Both gray wolves and grizzly bears have been documented as residents of the park’s most remote, rugged terrain. They are, however, extremely rare.

Your chances of spotting, let alone running into, a wolf or grizzly in the North Cascades are pretty close to zero. Either way, you should still know what to do when hiking in grizzly country.

Map of the Top North Cascades Attractions

Have You Ever Visited the North Cascades National Park Service Complex? What Were Your Favorite Things to Do in the North Cascades? Share Your National Parks Experience Below!

Author’s note: This post about the must-do activities in the North Cascades focuses on the area along and around the North Cascades Scenic Highway—the Ross Lake National Recreation Area and a small part of North Cascades National Park. I will update this post with activity suggestions for Stehekin and the remote Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, which is the third area that makes up this vast complex, once I’ve spent some time there.

Other Pacific Northwest National Parks to Explore

• Olympic National Park, Washington
• Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
• Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
• Redwood National and State Parks, California

Check out this blog post for the ultimate Pacific Northwest national parks road trip!