Best trails in North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park is a rugged, wilderness of conifer trees. The park features hiking trails along tree covered mountains that seem to stretch on forever, alpine meadows, impressive glaciers, the Skagit River, and stunning views of alpine lakes like Lake Ann or Diablo Lake. Scenic drives along the North Cascades Highway, boating on Ross Lake, climbing at Cascade Pass, Mount Shuksan, Mount Triumph, and Eldorado Peak, visiting the Stehekin Valley at the northern tip of Lake Chelan, and access to viewing wildlife such as grizzly bears, beaver, gray wolves, and over than 200 bird species are just some of your options.
Commercial boats and floatplanes are used to access the Stehekin area of the park. Please contact those services directly to ask about accessibility.
Top trails
Visitor info
No entrance fee or pass is required.
Join millions of people who enjoy our National Parks with the "America the Beautiful" National Park & Federal Recreational Lands Pass, otherwise known as the Interagency Annual Pass. The pass is valid for a year's worth of visits from the month of purchase at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites across the country.
North Cascades National Park does not charge an entrance fee, but the Interagency Access Pass allows pass holders to receive a 50% discount on other park amenities, such as camping.
The North Cascades Visitor Center, Sedro-Woolley information station, and Wilderness Information Center are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers and have wheelchair accessible restrooms.
Loaner wheelchairs, assistive listening devices, audio descriptions, tactile exhibits, and Braille and text materials are available.
Additional information about accessibility at North Cascades National Park can be found on their website: https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/accessibility-index.htm
The North Cascades Visitor Center, Sedro-Woolley information station, and Wilderness Information Center are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers and have wheelchair accessible restrooms.
The Golden West Visitor Center is likely accessible with assistance due to the steep and uneven surface on the approach. Orientation films include closed captioning.
The Newhalen, Goodell Creek, and Lower Hozomeen Boat Launch Picnic Areas are wheelchair accessible with packed, level paths and surfaces and accessible restrooms.
There are accessible restrooms at the following trailheads: Shadows of the Sentinal Trail, Skagit General Store, Gorge Creek Falls, Diablo Lake Overlook, Happy Creek Forest Walk, Rainy Lake Trail, Washington Pass Overlook, and Hozomeen Campground.
The Upper and Lower Goodell Group Campgrounds have 1 individual wheelchair accessible camping site each and wheelchair accessible restrooms.
The Newhalem Creek Campground has 2 individual wheelchair accessible camping sites and wheelchair accessible restrooms.
The Colonial Creek Campground has 3 individual wheelchair accessible camping sites and wheelchair accessible restrooms.
Service animals must be on-leash throughout the park.
Guides
Trail reviews for North Cascades National Park
I got to the trailhead at 6:30 on a Thursday morning. The lot was fairly full already by that time. There is a lot of extra parking short of the lot alongside the road and there were a lot of cars there when I left. The road is easily passable with about any car. It is quite washboarded and will be a bumpy ride for the hour long trip once you turn off the highway. Going to Cascade pass was an enjoyable hike that I would classify as moderate. After that, the trail gets quite a bit more steep and rocky and is not an easy hike. I stopped a couple hundred feet below the climbers camp because I lost the trail and got into some steep and slippery areas. I could not believe how busy the trail was all day. North Cascades national Park doesn’t get a lot of love, but it sure did on this hike. The views were beautiful. One daddy goat, was almost on the trail and didn’t seem bothered by anyone passing. A baby goat was probably 20 feet off of the trail and crying for its mother. I filtered some water on the way back to my car about a quarter mile from Cascade pass. Beyond Cascade pass there is not much water to be had.
A 10/10 hike to bask in the glory of the North Cascades and the Sahale glacier. I had to bail of 0.2 miles from the Sahale Camp since I ran out of water. Take sufficient water as there are not much water sources around (don't be me). The first 3.6 miles to cascade pass was a walk in the park when compared to the next 2.7 miles on the Sahale Arm. You'll pray for switchbacks up there.
Great hike, amazing views. The hike is a steady climb up switchbacks, very doable for most people, but it's a work out. Saw a black bear at the top working his way down the mountain. We arrived at 7am Monday and got a parking spot at the top, but was filling up fast. More parking down the road though. The gravel road is pretty rough, but we did it with a basic AWD SUV with not problem, just take it slow. Very crowded trail, steady stream of people the whole time. But it was all worth it, when you know these things going in just roll with it. There's a reason it's the most popular hike in North Cascades NP.
From Stehekin High Bridge to Cutthroat pass. North Cascades NP on the PCT is largely uninteresting
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Frequently asked questions
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Suitability
Points of interest
- Trappers Peak
- Mount Shuksan
- Eldorado Peak
- Inspiration Glacier
- Sahale Glacier
- Monogram Lake
- Copper Lake
- Sahale Mountain
- Quien Sabe Glacier
- Davenport Glacier
- Eldorado Glacier
- Copper Mountain Fire Lookout
- Upper Curtis Glacier
- Crystal Glacier
- Hanging Glacier
- Sulphide Glacier
- Lower Curtis Glacier
- White Salmon Glacier
- Sourdough Mountain Lookout
- Boston Glacier