Known as the “American Alps,” North Cascades National Park is a rugged wilderness of jagged peaks, turquoise lakes, and more glaciers than any other U.S. park outside Alaska. Located in northern Washington near the Canadian border, it’s a land where mountain ridges rise sharply from deep valleys carved by ice, and waterfalls spill endlessly down granite cliffs. The park’s untamed beauty feels both vast and intimate, a place where silence, scale, and solitude define the experience. Whether it’s the mirror-like reflection of Diablo Lake or the alpine glow on Mount Shuksan at sunrise, the North Cascades reveal nature at its most dramatic.
The park is a paradise for adventurers and ecologists alike. Over 300 glaciers feed rivers that flow through old-growth forests and alpine meadows bursting with wildflowers each summer. Black bears, mountain goats, marmots, and elusive wolverines roam the terrain, while eagles soar above snow-dusted summits. Visitors can traverse scenic drives like the North Cascades Highway, paddle the emerald waters of Ross Lake, or embark on challenging hikes that reward with sweeping views of endless peaks. Every turn feels like stepping deeper into an untouched corner of the Pacific Northwest.
Conservation efforts at North Cascades National Park focus on preserving its glaciers, forests, and biodiversity in the face of a changing climate. Scientists closely monitor glacial melt and its impact on river ecosystems, while restoration projects aim to protect native plant and animal species. Collaboration with Indigenous communities continues to guide stewardship rooted in respect and ecological understanding. Visitors are encouraged to explore with care, to leave no trace and to carry forward the park’s message of wilderness preservation. North Cascades is more than a mountain range; it is a living monument to the power, fragility, and endurance of nature.
Our Experience
This is an interesting park as the only road that drives through the park is in Ross Lake National Recreation area. Once you drive into the heart of the park, you have to do a lengthy mile hike before actually touching down in the national park land. It's a very beautiful park, as you can see it truly does look like the alps of the US. However, the park has been heavily developed and there are many man-made features such as damns. So to truly see the beauty of the park, you must backpack into the wild. We have plans to do so! It was so beautiful, we had never seen water this color!