North Cascades National Park

North Cascades National Park, 504,781 acres (204,436 hectares), N Washington. Located in the Cascade Range, the park has outstanding alpine scenery, including high jagged peaks, glaciers, icefalls, hanging valleys, and mountain lakes in high glacial cirques. Western slopes are rainy, with rain forests and other luxuriant vegetation; the eastern slopes are drier. Lake Chelan and Ross Lake national recreation areas adjoin the park, which was established in 1968. See National Parks and Monuments (table).

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North Cascades National Park

National park, northwestern Washington, U.S. Established in 1968 to preserve mountain snowfields, glaciers, alpine meadows, and lakes in the northern part of the Cascade Range, it covers an area of 504,781 acres (204,278 hectares). The Ross Lake National Recreation Area separates the park into two sections, the northern unit extending to the Canadian border and the southern unit adjoining the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.

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North Cascades National Park

Parks Directory of the United States / US National Parks / National Parks

Address: 810 SR 20
Sedro Woolley, WA 98284
Phone: 360-856-5700;
Fax: 360-856-1934;
Web: www.nps.gov/noca/
Size: 504,781 acres.
Established: Established on October 2, 1968. Wilderness designated on November 16, 1988. The Stephen Mather Wilderness Area extends into Lake Chelan and Ross Lake national recreation areas (see separate entries) and the three park units in this mountainous region are managed as one.
Location: In northwestern Washington. Access to the Park is from I-5 at Burlington, west of the mountains, and Twisp, on the east, following WA 20 (North Cascades Scenic Highway). WA 20, the major access to Ross Lake NRA, is partially closed from approximately mid-November to mid-April due to the weather.
Facilities: Campgrounds, picnic area, rest rooms (é), cabins, lodging, boat rentals, restaurant/snacks, visitor centers (é), museum/exhibit, self-guided tour/trail.
Activities: Camping, hiking, horseback riding, mountain climbing, fishing, boating, kayaking, whitewater rafting, wildlife viewing, auto touring, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing.
Special Features: In this wilderness park, high jagged peaks intercept moisture-laden winds, producing glaciers, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, lush forests and meadows, and a great diversity of flora and fauna. The park and adjacent recreation areas encompass more than 300 glaciers, more than any other national park in the contiguous United States. Almost 400 miles of trails and vast undeveloped wilderness allow visitors to experience nature with minimal human intrusion.

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See other parks in Washington.