North Cascades National Park Travel Guide

Introduction

Vast and inaccessible are not words often used to describe the Cascade Range, but here in the northern reaches, they are the only ones appropriate for a landscape that contains the largest wilderness in the state of Washington. Here, gray wolves and grizzly bears still roam, and human encroachment on their dominion is limited for the most part to the edges of the wilderness.

The North Cascades National Park Service Complex is at the heart of this region. Note the name; this is not just a park but a complex, which includes not only the national park itself but also Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas. In 1988, by act of Congress, about 93% of the acreage of the entire complex was designated the "Stephen Mather Wilderness." Unlike many national recreation areas, both Ross Lake and Lake Chelan are wild and remote, with minimal development or signs of human habitation.

A trip into this region is a true wilderness experience. Hiking here takes time and preparation....