The North Cascades National Park in Washington is only a 3-hour drive from Vancouver, making it incredibly doable in a weekend. Not only is the proximity a factor, it is also FREE – meaning you don’t need to fork out the $250 for an Annual US National Park pass! We spent a long weekend here, leaving Friday evening and returning early Monday morning, but honestly you could fit loads in on a regular weekend since the park isn’t that big. There are of course lots of different hikes, but 4 in particular stand out as the most popular, and you could definitely tackle 2 of them on a regular weekend. Below are some ideas of things you could do when visiting the Park.
- Hike the Blue Lake Trail
This is an 8 KM trail with just 312m elevation gain to a beautiful lake. It took us 2 hours in total, so a pretty quick hike through the forest until it opens up to the lake. You could definitely go for a swim here, but it was raining/hailing when we visited so it was not an option for us.
Due to its low elevation and short distance, it is very popular. You have to pay $5 to park in the main parking lot, or it’s free if you park on the side of the highway.
Find hike details here: https://just-another-mountain.com/blue-lake-trail-north-cascades/
- Hike Maple Loop Pass
This is an 11 KM trail with 662m elevation gain. This is another extremely popular trail which begins at the Rainy Lake trailhead. Again, if you park in the parking lot it’s $5.
Since it’s a loop, you can do the trail in either direction, but essentially it is a constant, gradual incline all the way to the top. You’re mostly following switchbacks, so it never feels too steep. You’ll have great views walking up through wildflower meadows of the surrounding peaks and of Rainy Lake below.
Hike details here: https://just-another-mountain.com/maple-pass-trail-north-cascades/
- Check out the Washington Pass Overlook
Just 5 minutes further along the road from the Blue Lake trailhead, you’ll see a sign for Washington Pass Overlook that is definitely worth stopping for. It’s basically a 2 minute walk from the parking lot to look out at the incredible mountains surrounding the area.
- Drive to Mazama and stop by the general store
Now you get to drive the road you just admired from the Washington Pass Overlook. It’s around 30 minutes from here until you get to Mazama – there is no phone signal from Diablo Lake until you reach Mazama, so download maps to be safe.
Mazama is a really small town but their general store is worth the drive as you can get coffee (the only coffee you can get!! – the only other option is driving the opposite way to Marblemount but that would be a waste of time) and they have delicious, freshly baked goods & baguettes!
- Drive to Diablo Lake Overlook
This is a stunning view of the infamous lake that is an unusual turquoise-blue colour due to the glacial flour coming from the surrounding mountain glaciers.
- Check out Gorge Dam Overlook
This dam was built in the 1920s to supply power to Seattle and stands at 300 feet tall. The Dam remains controversial as it destroyed ancestral lands and disrupted fish migrations which has led to a settlement by Seattle City Light to construct fish passages. The river water is also a really unique blue colour due to the glacial flour, so it’s really beautiful.
- Walk the Trail of the Cedars
This nature trail loop is less than a kilometre, so it’s a nice way to start your day if you’ve camped in Newhalem.
- Visit the North Cascades National Park visitor centre
It’s always worth checking out the visitor centre at National Parks to get tips and up to date information from the park rangers. There’s also a little gift shop and a cool display of the different plants and animals that call the Cascades home. The centre is located right by the Newhalem campground.
- Hike Thunder Knob
We decided against this 6 KM hike because the view is basically the same as from Diablo Lake Overlook, just from the other side. It is a popular one, we spent one night camping in Colonial Creek North campground which is where the trailhead is, and there were lots of hikers coming to do this one early in the morning. You can’t park in the campground unless you have a reservation, but there is parking by the campground entrance. Parking is limited, but like all hikes in the Cascades, there is space to park on the side of the highway.
- Hike Cascade Pass via Sahale Arm
This 20.6 KM trail climbs 1,250m to the Sahale glacier. A lot of people will choose to hike Cascade Pass in a day which is 11 KM and only 542m elevation.
The extra climb to the glacier evidently requires a lot of effort, but from the pictures I’ve seen it is 100% worth it. We decided to leave this one out as we were happy with the first two hikes I mentioned, but I would definitely come back and do this one in a weekend.
Final advice
All sites become First-Come First-Serve after Labour Day
Newhalem campground has cell service, toilets, bear boxes, and potable water (no showers)
Colonial Creek campground has toilets, bear boxes and potable water (no cell service or showers)
There is no cell service once you leave Newhalem until you get to Mazama
