Best Campgrounds In North Cascades National Park

I’ve never been to NCNP before, anyone have experience with the campgrounds there? I was thinking of staying at the “Lone Fir” campground on the East side of the park tonight as I’ll be getting in as the sun is going down. I can’t seem to dredge up much info/pictures on it though. Backcountry camping in the North Cascades requires a free permit, which are issued on a first-come-first-serve basis at ranger stations. At the time of writing , the park is only issuing permits at the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount, which is located at 7280 Ranger Station Road, Marblemount WA 98267.

It actually makes our list of the best easy hikes in Washington State. You’ll start in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, which means you need your Northwest Forest Pass for the trailhead (or pay $5 cash in the envelopes provided…sometimes). From the top, the view is worth the effort to get there, especially when the larches go golden. You’ll be above the lake you passed on the way up, with the various peaks of the Cascades in nearly every direction.

The campsites are offered on a first-come and first-served booking basis. Many families travel the country via RVs or trailer campers of every size and description. The lake and its campgrounds are accessible from Highway 20 and Baker Lake Road. The first two campgrounds along the route are Horseshoe Cove and Bayview Campgrounds. These two popular spots support RVs and tents, with no hookups available. Gorge Lake is a National Park Service campground, west of the Diablo Dam.

Created by Diablo Dam, Diablo Lake is a large turquoise lake filled with trout for great fishing. The Diablo Lake Trail runs the lend of the lake’s north shore. Located across the Skagit River, the Visitor Center has an exhibit room with lots of multimedia exhibits on the park’s natural and cultural history and special presentations by rangers.

When To Go Hiking In The North Cascades

If you have a day with beautiful weather, I highly recommend hiking to Table Mountain. There are views along the entire trail of Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan, and the other surrounding mountains in the northern North Cascades. If you venture to Artist Point in North Cascades National Park, Table Mountain is a must-do hike. Although this trail is only 2.6 miles roundtrip, it is not easy.

North Cascades National Park is a highly underrated park but for those who venture here, it is a peaceful, beautiful experience. The trail passes through U-pick farms, small logging communities, thickly wooded state parks, rushing rivers, and beautiful lakes. This section of North Cascades National Park receives a lot of snow, which sometimes will not melt until August. We visited in mid-August, and there was still a lot of snow on Artist Point and the surrounding area. I highly recommend reading recent reviews and the Forest Service website to know if the road has been cleared.

Best Time To Visit North Cascades National Park For Rv Camping

Located on the south slope of Sahale Mountain, the glacier is about a quarter mile in length and can be found between 8,200 and 7,800 feet on Sahale Mountain. You can access the glacier with a permit via the Cascade Pass along the Sahale Arm. On the way to North Cascades National Park, stop by the Great Northern & Cascade Railway Museum in Skykomish to discover the rich history of railroads in the Pacific Northwest. The railway operates a free train rides five days a week for the public on its 2,700 feet of track.

From the trailhead, you’ll spend the first 2.5 miles of this hike steadily climbing switchbacks through the forest. You’ll emerge into the open meadows, which is where the views really start to become good. Then continue along the trail, climbing above Lake Ann until you’re looking east, with Lake Ann in the foreground and the snowy peaks of the Cascades in the background.

Newhalem Creek Campground

Any path below 7,000 feet in height should be able to be hiked, but it will still be ice and snowy. Ross Lake is more accessible than the park proper, and there’s enough to do there in June. This implies that there won’t be much to do in June unless you’re a big lover of snowshoeing and winter camping. Even while the Cascade Highway is normally accessible by mid-May, it doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to go about freely. The floorplan features a unique rear kitchen design with all the amenities of a larger unit.

The campground is located on the northern side of State Route 20. East of Marblemount are a couple of small National Forest Service campgrounds on the Cascade River Road, which leads to the trail head for the popular hike to Cascade Pass. Among them, Marble Creek is 8 miles east of Marblemount, and Mineral Park is 18 miles east. Newhalem Creek Campground, one of the area’s busiest, is at the center of the action near the North Cascades Visitor Center. It’s wheelchair accessible and has many short hiking trails nearby.

Canoeing Labyrinth Canyon On Utahs Green River

Take the trail on the left side of the fork towards the Sahale Arm, which immediately starts a steep, rocky climb that lasts about a mile before leveling out a little. After a steep final mile, you’ll arrive at the Sahale Glacier. You’ll probably see mountain goats and marmots along the way, which is a nice distraction from your burning thighs. Well, actually, there are quite a few things that are special about the North Cascades.

And the privacy afforded through the campground’s dense foliage makes the campground popular for tent campers, too. Stehekin offers camping in a range of settings, from lakeside sites to quiet roadside camps to backpacking sites. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) is the closest airport to North Cascades National Park. You can reach the main entrance of the national park via Route I-5 in about two hours. Alternatively, you can access the park via BC-99/I-5 from Vancouver International Airport in under 2.5 hours.

Obtaining Permits For The Backcountry Of North Cascades

Check out the Mazama Country Inn, the Freestone Inn, and the Grey Moose. There are several small towns to the east of the national park. Stehekin is a small community located on the far northern end of Lake Chelan. Once here, you can explore Stehekin Valley on foot, go camping, and discover the cultural history of the people who live here. For backpackers, this makes a great starting or ending point for a multi-day hike through the park.

The trail meanders for a couple of miles before you take a left at a fork and come to Cutthroat Lake, which is a great spot for lunch or a snack on the way back down. The trailhead for Blue Lake is near the Maple Pass trailhead, in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Here are nine hikes that you’re going to love in the North Cascades.

The Lone Fir Campground offers easy access to the Interpreted Lone Fir Trail that reaches lengths of 2 miles. This makes a terrific family camping site, and cyclists are often here staying overnight. Try your luck with mountain biking, hiking, backpacking and boating. This campsite gives visitors access to the cold and clear waters of Diablo Lake and all the fishing and other water pursuits that are a tradition here.

Your Guide To An Epic North Cascades Camping Trip

4 boat-in campgrounds exist along Lake Chelan, and Ross Lake has a whopping 21. While reservations are the best way to go if you are a planner, many of the campgrounds offer first-come, first-served slots as well. Because some people stay multiple days, these usually require you to arrive at the campground early in the morning to have your best chance of getting a spot. North Cascades National Park is a summer destination, and many parts of the park are inaccessible due to snowfall throughout much of the year.

Because the backcountry does not belong to humans, different rules apply while you’re out there and theLeave No Traceguidelines spell those out for us. The Colonial Creek Campgrounds are located on the shores of vibrant Diablo Lake and have nearly 130 campsites between them. These campgrounds offer access to a fishing pier, boat launch, and convenient access to Thunder Knob Trail. There are 6 campgrounds in the park, all of which are located along Highway 20. While all of the campgrounds can be reserved in advance, this is not always necessary.

The hike to Sahale Arm and the Glacier Camp is truly spectacular, and in our opinion, the best way to experience this national park, other than going on a backpacking trip. 18 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail travels through North Cascades National Park. The PCT cuts through the narrow sliver of park land, just north of Stehekin. It also travels through the Okanogan National Forest, near Rainy Lake. In order to do this, you will need to obtain a backcountry permit if you plan to camp overnight along the trail.