North Cascades National Park

The North Cascades are a rugged mountain territory filled with vertical landscapes. They encompass much of northern Washington and span across the British Columbia border. The main entry point for most people is the North Cascades Highway, which cuts horizontally across this region. This scenic byway is accessible from Seattle with less than an hour's drive, and it's approximately another hour's drive to reach the park properly. Along the way, scenic destinations like Ross Lake National Recreation Area and the turquoise waters of Diablo Lake encourage pitstops.

Mountains of conifer trees, glacier peaks, and clear blue lakes – you can find all of these at the North Cascades National Park. It’s a great place to visit for those who are only looking for day trips from Seattle, but you can get more from this experience if you stay longer. Spending the weekend in Winthrop is a fun mini-vacation to plan. You can go skiing at the Mt. Baker Ski Area in the winter or go hiking at Mount Shuksan. There are also several campsites inside the national park if you want to stay overnight, but it’s easy enough to take a North Cascades day trip from Seattle. Make sure to stop at Diablo Lake on the way out.

Distance from Seattle: 110 miles
Travel time: 2 hours

Location: Whatcom, Skagit, and Chelan counties, Washington, United States

Google Rating: 4.8/5