The first stop on our Pacific Northwest adventure was North Cascades National Park! We landed at Sea-Tac around noon and eagerly hit the road to reach our campground before the sun set. As we climbed the mountains into the park, we were blown away by how beautiful and fully imersed we were in the mountain range.
Colonial Creek North Campground
I reserved a camp site in the Colonial Creek North Campground which sits right on Thunder Arm, an off shoot lake of Diablo Lake. It was an absolutely beautiful location and we wished we’d stayed longer. On the day we arrived, we set up camp then walked around the site with the last bit of daylight before turning in for the night. This was by far the coldest park, but overall we lucked out on the weather!
We started the next day early, stopping at the Gorge Overlook Trail which gave breathtaking views of the Skagit River. We took time to take everything in and read some of the informational signs which talked about the river and the hydroelectric power harnessed here. We followed the trail, which looped around and brought us back to the parking lot. Then continued onwards to the visitor center.
I highly recommend stopping at the visitor center each day you are in the park during times of wild fires and fire bans. You’ll be able to get all the information you need to know which trails and areas are closed or opened. There’s also a short trail behind the center where you can view The Picket Range.
Newhalem
Newhalem is a company town ownded by Seattle City Light and popultaed entirely by employees of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project! This little town offers places to camp and a general store stocked with resources for anyone coming into the park from the west side. Nestled in the area are several trails that we got to explore!
Trail of Cedars Nature Walk is a flat loop along the river that showcases the enormity of the cedars! It highlights many plants, as well as the power of a forest fire and the new growth that follows it. I loved all the signage along this trail.
We used the Newhalem Campground Trails as a connector to reach the Rock Shelter Trail. This trail goes further into the forest and ends at a rock formation that native people’s would use as a shelter. When looking at it there’s a clear area where a fire would have been. It definitely provides a great natural shelter for anyone that would have passed by. Along the trail is a Spur trail that follows the Newhalem Creek further. At a few points it seemed we’d gone off trail as wildflowers were overgrown, but eventually we made it to the base of the creek. The area was quiet and serene so we took a few minutes to relax and enjoy the sounds of nature.
Blue Lake
As some of the trails I researched were closed due to the wildfires, we settled on going to the Blue Lake Trailhead. The drive through the mountains along the North Cascades Scenic Highway was fun and we even got to see some of the burn areas and the local firefighters at work.
We arrived at the trailhead, but not quite as prepared for the chilly weather as we thought. The hike up was a nice gradual elevation gain through the subalpine meadows and fir forests. Laying eyes on my first meadow was really exciting for me. While we were late in the wildflower bloom season, there were still some colorful patches of blooms!
Throughout the entire hike it was flurrying on and off. Seeing snow was so neat because of the elevation we were at. We made lunch at Blue Lake at 6,280 ft right as a cloud came in with a chilly breeze and more flurries. We were very cold, ate quickly, and headed back to the car. Even though the weather wasn’t what we hoped for, everything was still amazing to see. We were super proud of finishing the hike and getting to see our first alpine lake!
Leavenworth
So Leavenworth isn’t technically in the National Park, BUT it is so worth the drive to visit! We continued down the scenic highway and through the Wenatchee National Forest around the east side of the mountain ranges. Eventually we turned back west on the southern side of the range towards the bavarian town of Leavensworth. This adorable town is the perfect place to check out shops, beers, and good food. We loved our pit stop here and can’t wait to come back to explore more of the trails and mountains!
North Cascade National Park blew away all expectatoins. It was more remote and quiet which we absolutely loved. We got to see so much more than just the mountains as well, making it very clear that we needed to come back to enjoy all the area has to offer. It was the perfect park to check-out first before going to Olympic National Park next. Thanks so much for sticking around and see you on our next adventure!
GreenWorldGlimpse 