State Parks and National Parks

North Cascades National Park contains some of America's most beautiful mountain scenery, including high jagged peaks, ridges, slopes and countless cascading waterfalls.

The park's 505,000 acres encompass more than 300 glaciers. The North Cascades National Park Service Complex, which also includes the adjacent Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas, contains more glaciers than any other national park in the lower 48 states.

Hiking, backpacking and mountaineering are the most popular activities. There are few roads into the park. Most hikers enter the park from the North Cascades Scenic Highway (State Route 20), which bisects the park. Portions of this highway are closed in winter.

Hikers also enter the park on trails spinning off the Cascade River Road and the Stehekin Valley. There are no connecting roads to the Stehekin Valley Road. Forest Service paths surrounding the park also lead to the park's interior.

North Cascades National Park is divided into north and south units by Ross Lake National Recreation Area. Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is at the southern tip of the park complex.

About 93 percent of the park is designated as the Stephen Mather Wilderness. Visitors enjoy fishing, wildlife and birdwatching, backpacking, hiking, mountaineering and camping. Permits are required for backcountry camping.

The North Cascades National Park Visitor Center is in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area near Newhalem. The park office in Sedro-Woolley also serves as an information station.

The park is administered, along with Ross Lake and Lake Chelan national recreation areas, by the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.

A Northwest Forest Pass is required to park at nearby trailheads on U.S. Forest Service land.

A major, cross-country bike tour route follows the North Cascades Highway over the Cascade Range.

Photo credits in order: Courtesy of National Park Service. Courtesy of National Park Service. Courtesy of National Park Service.