Life with ArielI donāt understand why North Cascades National Park doesn’t get as much hype as other national parks. It has spectacular views, dog friendly hiking trails, and an epic main driveway. So far, it is my favorite national park mainly because itās much more dog friendly than others. This park is technically a scenic area which consists of several wilderness areas. The main driveway State Route 20 (aka North Cascades Highway) is super scenic with views of magnificent mountains crowned by glaciers and lush forests. It leads to different wilderness areas and hiking trails. Moreover, the park is much less crowded than other national parks. Parking and campsite booking were much easier for me. Ariel and I spent two days there on our way to Alaska. It was not enough for this amazing place.
Accommodations
Booking campsites in advance is highly recommended for national parks, as I mentioned in my previous blog about Olympic National Park. Although the same holds for North Cascades, its campsites donāt go as fast as other parks. So you may be able to find some spots if you book just one or two months in advance vs. 5-6 months for other parks.
I was able to book two nights inside the park. My first night was at Goodell Creek Campground next to the North Cascades Visitor Center. It was quiet, private, and shaded with lots of space between campsites. I highly recommend it. The second night was at Colonial Creek South Campground right by Diablo Lake. I didn’t enjoy it much because it’s too big and way more crowded than Goodell Creek. Campsites are also close to each other.
Day 1: Visitor Center, Gorge Creek Falls, and Diablo Lake
Visitor Center
We drove from Bellevue, WA in the morning. As usual, the visitor center was our first stop. North Cascades has only one main visitor center, North Cascades Visitor Center, right by State Route 20. Ariel and I also hiked the Skagit River Loop Trail behind the visitor center. It was only 1.9 miles long, flat, and dog friendly. Although you wonāt be able to have an overlook of Skagit River from the trail (donāt worry you will get plenty of opportunities to do that later on the highway), you will get river access. I even saw people swimming in it.
Gorge Creek Falls
Gorge Creek Falls is about 4 miles northeast to the visitor center. The viewing platform is right next to North Cascades Highway. Following the signs, you won’t miss it. To best view the falls, get on the bridge that spans Gorge Creek, located in front of the parking lot. On the left, the narrow Gorge Creek Falls cascades from over 200ft high, dripping through a gorge then down to Gorge Creek. The creek flows below the bridge to the right and streams down to Gorge Dam then to the aqua-blue Gorge Lake. To overlook the lake, I recommend the short interpretative trail on the right of the parking lot. The bridge is not very dog friendly although a developed area that allows dogs because it’s made of mesh steel. Ariel’s toe beans got stuck into the holes.Ā I had to leave her in the car.
Diablo Lake
The overlook of Diablo Lake is probably the most iconic view in North Cascades National Park. The lake is actually a reservoir created by Diablo Dam on Skagit River. Diablo Dam, Gorge Dam, and Ross Dam collectively have been generating power for the Seattle area since 1920s. Diablo Lake is in a special turquoise blue when you overlook it. With the surrounding snow peaks, the view is quite spectacular. The overlook platform is right by North Cascades Highway, paved, and well maintained. So dogs can walk on it too. Parking is super easy for both normal-sized vehicles and RVs.
If you want to do a little hiking around the lake, I recommend the popular Thunder Knob Trail. The 3.4-mile long trail ascends 675 feet, not particularly difficult but a good workout. Parking is on the side of North Cascades Highway next to the boat launch area for Diablo Lake. It fills up pretty fast. I recommend starting early in the day. The trailhead is a bit difficult to locate as you need to go through Colonial Creek North Campground and there’s no sign for it. I suggest you follow the directions on AllTrails. Views on the trail are great. You will go through forests and have snow-capped mountain views. Once you get to the top, you will overlook the Thunder Arm of Diablo Lake.
Day 2: Washington Pass, Blue Lake and Water Activities
Washington Pass
Washington Pass is a must-see even though it’s a bit far, about 43 miles from the visitor center. You will have an expansive overlook of snow peaks and forest valleys. And it’s effortless to get this fantastic view. The Washington Pass Overlook Trail is only 0.3 miles long on a developed and paved platform and never crowded.
Blue Lake
Blue Lake is a small but beautiful lake in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. To get there, you need to climb about 900 feet and hike 4.6 miles out-and-back on the Blue Lake Trail. The trailhead is only about 1 mile away from Washington Pass. So I recommend visiting them on the same day. The trail is a popular dog-friendly destination among visitors. So parking is hard if you don’t go early. Luckily, there are some wide spaces on the sides of North Cascades Highway that are close to the trailhead.
Views on the trail were amazing. It started in the woods, went on to an open forest land where snow peaks appeared, and led to narrow and rocky mountain trails where we walked alongside pine trees and enjoyed mountain views. At the end, we saw multiple creeks. Going upstream, the Blue Lake expanded in front of us. The lake was in different colors: icy blue when close to the snow and dark green when next to the forests. It’s magical. To hike this trail, wear sturdy hiking shoes because it’s muddy and rocky in different sections. Also put on lots of bug spray because flies and mosquitos are really thick and relentless all the way, especially around the lake.
Water Activities
If you still have energy after the Blue Lake hike, I highly recommend water activities in Diablo Lake in the afternoon or evening. The water will cool you down from summer heat. And the beautiful forest surroundings are therapeutic. You need to bring you own equipment though. Thereās no rental in the park. Ariel and I spent an hour on the water kayaking. As usual, she liked watching people and birds more than being on the boat, while I enjoyed the lake and the workout.
