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Top 10 sights in Washington's North Cascades - Terry Richard

Top 10 sights in Washington's North Cascades

Posted by Terry Richard, The Oregonian July 23, 2009 03:18AM

Categories: Living Top Stories, North Cascades, Outdoors News, Travel News, Western Washington

Terry Richard/The OregonianBackpackers with the Mazamas get an awesome view of the North Cascades while descending the trail from Jack Mountain and Jerry Lakes .

Ten must-see sights around Washington's North Cascades National Park, which turns 41 years old in 2009:

North Cascades Highway: The 125 miles of State Route 20, from park headquarters in Sedro Woolley on the west to Winthrop on the east, is one of 's most beautiful mountain highways. Snow closes it from November until April.

Skagit River : Famous for wintering bald eagles, the Skagit Valley is Washington 's second-largest river system (the Columbia/Snake is No. 1). The Sauk and Suiattle tributaries offer white-water boating in a vast wilderness a short drive from 5 million people. It's hydro project is a marvel of early 20th century engineering.

Ross Lake : Ross Lake Resort (206-386-4437, www.rosslakeresort.com) rents cabins and boats on the 25-mile-long lake, a reservoir on the Skagit River that reaches to . Seattle City Light conducts tours of its hydropower facilities at 389-foot-high Diablo Dam.

Mount Baker: Heather Meadows, east of Bellingham at the end of the Mount Baker Scenic Byway, has a prime view of 9,127-foot Mount Shuksan , one of 's most photographed mountains. Along the way, Forest Road 39 offers a view of the 10,775-foot Mount Baker volcano, Washington 's third-highest peak.

Baker Lake: An impoundment of the Baker River , the lake is developed for recreation. Baker Lake Lodge (888-711-3033) has cabins and boat rentals. The Shadow of the Sentinels loop is one of Washington 's showcase barrier-free trails.

Cascade Pass : The only road that enters the national park (without a ferry journey) is the last four miles of a 20-mile gravel road southeast of Marblemount. From road's end, a three-mile trail leads to 5,384-foot Cascade Pass for views of the largest concentration of glaciated peaks south of .

Methow Valley : On the Cascades' east side, the valley's 120 miles of cross-country ski trails are used by bikers and hikers in summer. Sun Mountain Lodge (800-572-0493, www.sunmountainlodge.com), which overlooks the valley, is Washington 's premier year-round mountain resort.

Lake Chelan: Water sports and golf make Chelan one of Washington 's busiest summer destinations. The Lake Chelan Boat Co. (509-682-4584, www.ladyofthelake.com) has ferry service on the 55-mile-long lake from Chelan to Stehekin. Chelan Airways (509-682-5065, www.chelanairways.com) has sightseeing flights and transport to Stehekin.

Stehekin Valley : From Stehekin at the head of Lake Chelan, a bus shuttles hikers and sightseers 12 (one hour) to road's end at High Bridge . One-way fare is $5. A favored stopping point, besides the bakery, is 312-foot Rainbow Falls . Stehekin has three resorts, with cabins, restaurants, campsites, showers, bike rentals, raft trips and horseback rides.

Canada, eh?: To see all of the park, drive into Canada, then south 40 miles on the Silver-Skagit road from Hope, B.C. The road ends at Hozomeen, just back inside Washington . It's a place to camp on upper Ross Lake (bring your own boat).

-- Terry Richard; terryrichard@news.oregonian.com