Four Days in the American Alps: North Cascades

Day 1 of 4

Drive Highway 20 in · Diablo Lake & permits in Marblemount

The North Cascades are surprisingly close to a major airport yet feel a world away. Plan on about 2.5 to 3 hours from Seattle (SEA) up the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20), the only road through the park. Stop at the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount to pick up or confirm your overnight permit and check trail conditions, and fuel up here, because services thin out fast as you climb east.

4 stopsDay one

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⠿Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.

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   Drive from where are you driving from?~2.5 to 3 hr · Highway 20 · fuel up first · Drive

   Plan on about 2.5 to 3 hours from Seattle (SEA) up the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20), the only road through the park. It is a stunning drive, but services thin out fast east of Marblemount, so download offline maps and fuel up before you climb into the mountains.

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   Wilderness permits in MarblemountConfirm your overnight permit · custom

   Stop at the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount to pick up or confirm your overnight wilderness permit and check trail and snow conditions. The most popular sites, including Sahale Glacier Camp, go fast when reservations open on recreation.gov, so have yours booked ahead.

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   Diablo Lake OverlookTurquoise glacier-fed reservoir · Viewpoint

   Pull off at the Diablo Lake Overlook, where the reservoir glows an unreal turquoise from glacial rock flour suspended in the water. It is one of the most photographed spots in the park and a quick, no-effort stop right off Highway 20.

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   Stay in Marblemount or NewhalemNear the west entrance · lodge

   Base near the west entrance in Marblemount or Newhalem so you are positioned for an early start at the Cascade Pass trailhead tomorrow. Lodging is scarce out here, so reserve early, especially on summer weekends.

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Day 2 of 4

Cascade Pass & the Sahale Arm · camp at the glacier

This is the centerpiece of the trip and one of the great backpacks in the lower 48. From the Cascade Pass trailhead, climb the famous switchbacks up to Cascade Pass (about 3.7 miles), where the whole jagged spine of the park unfolds around you. Then turn up the Sahale Arm, a ridgeline that keeps climbing through heather meadows toward the glaciers, roughly 12 miles round trip to the top.

3 stopsDay two

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⠿Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.

1. ⠿↑↓1
   Cascade Pass & the Sahale Arm~12 mi RT · strenuous · the signature climb · Hike

   From the Cascade Pass trailhead, climb the famous switchbacks to Cascade Pass at about 3.7 miles, where the whole jagged spine of the park unfolds, then turn up the Sahale Arm, a ridgeline that keeps climbing through heather meadows toward the glaciers, roughly 12 miles round trip to the top.

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   Sahale Glacier CampRock-walled sites at the glacier · permit required · lodge

   Sahale Glacier Camp is a cluster of rock-walled tent sites perched at the foot of the Sahale Glacier with a jaw-dropping panorama over the peaks and valleys below. It is one of the most spectacular places you can pitch a tent anywhere, and it requires a wilderness permit booked ahead.

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   Bear canister or food hangRequired food storage · custom

   Store all food and scented items in an approved bear canister or hang them properly. Black bears are active across the range, and the weather at the glacier edge can change fast, so pack warm layers, rain gear, and a stove, and watch the sky on the exposed arm.

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Day 3 of 4

Down to the lakes · a Skagit River raft trip

Pack up camp and descend the Sahale Arm and Cascade Pass back to the trailhead, savoring the views you climbed past in the other direction. Trade boots for a paddle and head down to the river for a guided Skagit River rafting trip with Triad River Tours, a scenic float through the forested valley below the peaks, a perfect rest-day reward for tired legs.

4 stopsDay three

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⠿Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.

1. ⠿↑↓1
   Descend Sahale Arm & Cascade PassHike out to the trailhead · Hike

   Pack up camp and descend the Sahale Arm and Cascade Pass back to the trailhead, savoring the views you climbed past on the way up. It is all downhill, but the upper arm is steep, so take it slow and protect tired knees.

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   Skagit River raft trip · Triad River ToursGuided float · book ahead · activity

   Trade boots for a paddle with a guided Skagit River rafting trip with Triad River Tours, a scenic float through the forested valley below the peaks. It is a perfect low-effort reward after the Sahale climb, so reserve ahead, especially on summer weekends.

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   Diablo & Ross Lake overlooksTurquoise reservoir lakes · Viewpoint

   Explore the turquoise reservoir lakes strung along Highway 20. The glacier-fed Diablo Lake and the larger Ross Lake shimmer an electric blue-green, and short trails and overlooks near Newhalem and the Ross Dam give you the classic North Cascades postcard without a big climb.

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   Stay near the lakes or NewhalemRest, resupply & recharge · lodge

   Spend the night near the lakes or in Newhalem to rest your legs, dry out wet gear, and recharge before tomorrow's drive over the high passes. Resupply and do laundry here, because services are limited east of Marblemount.

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Day 4 of 4

The Maple Pass Loop · larches, lookouts & the drive home

Finish with one of the best day hikes in the range, the Maple Pass Loop (about 7.2 miles, strenuous), which technically sits just outside the park boundary near Rainy Pass. It climbs through subalpine meadows past Lake Ann to a high pass with a sweeping ridgeline panorama, and in late September the slopes blaze gold as the larches turn, one of the great fall spectacles in Washington. If you have the legs and want fewer crowds, the steep Hidden Lake Lookout is a stunning alternative back near Marblemount.

3 stopsDay four

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⠿Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.

1. ⠿↑↓1
   Maple Pass Loop~7.2 mi loop · strenuous · larches · Hike

   Finish with the Maple Pass Loop (about 7.2 miles, strenuous), which technically sits just outside the park boundary near Rainy Pass. It climbs through subalpine meadows past Lake Ann to a high pass with a sweeping ridgeline panorama, and in late September the slopes blaze gold as the larches turn.

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2. ⠿↑↓2Buidhe / CC BY-SA 4.0
   Washington Pass OverlookView over the Highway 20 hairpin · Viewpoint

   Continue up to Washington Pass for the dramatic overlook above the highway hairpin, with Liberty Bell and the Early Winters Spires rising over the road. It is a short walk from the parking lot and one of the most photographed views on Highway 20.

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   Getting home: Seattle or WinthropSEA ~3 to 3.5 hr · Drive

   From the Maple Pass and Rainy Pass area it is roughly 3 to 3.5 hours back to Seattle (SEA) the way you came, or you can drop east to Winthrop for the night and loop back another day. Top off your gas and start the drive with daylight, because Highway 20 is long, winding, and short on services.

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