Just 2.5 hours north of Seattle on Highway 20, the North Cascades National Park shows its rugged face to visitors. The park is home to rocky mountains, wilderness lakes, and the Skagit River. The visitor's center is located in Newhalem, which also serves as the gateway to the park.
The park is great for car camping, wilderness camping, hiking, and photography. A central site on the west side is Ross Lake and Lake Diablo. Both are formed by hydro-electric dams for Seattle City Light. The company offers tours of Diablo Lake and the dams which start in Newhalem. For more tour information, visit their website.
The mountains are visible from the highway, and view points. The Fourth of July Pass view point is worth the stop, with magnificent views of the mountains and opportunities to see wildlife.
Campgrounds are placed along Highway 20 offers 5 car accessible locations, and the park offers 3 boat accessible locations. For campground locations, visit their website.
On the east side of the park, visitors drive through Winthrop and Twisp on the way to Lake Chelan or the Okanogan area.
