North Cascades National Park is a contradiction.
To begin with, its more than a singular park. It's part of a complex spread out over 1,069 square miles from Lake Chelan to the Canadian border that includes the Ross Lake and Lake Chelan national recreation areas.
Visitation to the park proper is 19,000 people a year. The most heavily visited corridor, the Ross Lake area, draws more than 292,000 people annually.
You also can see the contradiction in the parks natural wonders.
The teal hue of Diablo Lake is a stark contrast to the dark blue of nearby Ross Lake. Soaring cedar trees seemingly touch the sky while delicate tendrils of ferns poke from the forest floor.
For recreation, this complex has gained its fame for remarkable backcountry hikes. Guide books tout treks that take visitors deep into the wilderness, to places such as Sahale Mountain, Cascade Pass and Mount Shuksan. Conversely, there are just 16.7 miles of road that lead into the park proper.
But not all 386 miles of trail are intended for adults toting backpacks laden with the latest high-tech camping gear. There are plenty of places for children to stretch their legs, throw stones into a river and touch a tree hundreds of years old.
Along Highway 20 the North Cascades Highway there are plenty of places for families to explore, hike and learn about the flora and fauna. Here are some of our recommendations for families looking for a fall getaway or want to plan an extended trip next summer.
NEWHALEM
The Trail of the Cedars is a great place to introduce your young ones to the world of old-growth forests. The hike starts by crossing over the Skagit River on a suspension bridge. All along the .3-mile Seattle City Light loop trail are placards explaining what trees and plants grow in the area. Hikers will encounter Western red cedars, Western hemlock, Douglas and silver fir, alder and lodgepole pine.
A short distance upriver is the Ladder Creek Falls Trail, another Seattle City Light trail. It leads .4 miles through gardens and ends at the falls. Looking for refreshments, stop in at the Skagit General Store, first opened in 1922 as an employee commissary for Skagit River hydroelectric project workers and their families. Across the road is the Skagit Information Center, which offers exhibits on the project. It is the starting point for commercial tours and has restrooms.
Outside the store is the restored Baldwin steam engine Old Number Six. Kids can climb on the engine and tug a rope to ring its brass bell. The engine used to run between Newhalem and Rockport and offered the only access to the area before the North Cascades Highway was built.
www.seattle.gov/light/tours/skagit
NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK VISITOR CENTER
A family could spend the better part of a day at the visitor center and the nearby network of trails.
The center, while on the small side, is filled with plenty to see and touch to keep your young explorers busy. The central area features a large relief map of the park and surrounding area, with plenty of buttons to push to highlight park features.
Leading from outside the center is the River Loop Trail, a 1.8-mile walk that takes visitors through a dense forest to a large gravel bar on Skagit River. Parents should watch their young children when near the fast-flowing river. The trail is a great place for kids to complete some of the tasks to earn their Junior Ranger badge. Two years ago, Washingtons National Park Fund donated $11,500, matched equally by federal funds, to pay for new Junior Ranger booklets providing information and activities relevant to children in four age categories.
Were really working to make our (Junior Ranger) program challenging and fun, said park superintendent Chip Jenkins. But we are trying to make it play based, that you have to get out and do it and have fun.
Other options include the very short Sterling Munro Trail at the center, the .5-mile To Know a Tree Nature Trail in the campground and the .3-mile Rock Shelter Trail.
The center, located off Highway 20 at milepost 120, is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and until 6 p.m. from early July to early September.
www.nps.gov/noca, 206 386-4495, Ext. 11
NORTH CASCADES HIGHWAY
If you have the time, the 50-mile drive across the North Cascades Highway from Newhalem to Mazama is worthwhile, offering plenty of viewpoints and trailheads for breaks, side trips and restrooms. Dont wait too long, though, because the highway is closed from Diablo Lake to Mazama during the winter. Here are some of the highlights.
Diablo Lake Overlook: Hold on to your hat figuratively and literally for views of the stunningly blue lake. Located at milepost 132, the overlook as great views of the lake, plus Pyramid Peak to the south and Jack Mountain to the northeast. The winds can be powerful as they sweep upriver from Puget Sound. The park is building a new shelter that will offer protection from the wind.
Rainy Lake Trail: This is a paved 1-mile hike to a small alpine lake that is in the Okangoan National Forest. The trailhead is at the picnic area at milepost 158. Along the way youll encounter huckleberries, when in season. There is a viewpoint at the end of the trail, but little direct access to the water. With kids, that could be good or bad. Benches along the way offer resting spots for young and old. For those with older or more energetic kids, take the 3.6-mile round-trip trek to Lake Ann.
Mazama Store: When the highway flattens out east of the Cascades, go a little farther to this unique mix of food staples, beverages, camping gear and clothing. It makes a great turnaround destination with plenty of treat options for the whole family. Another incentive: Guidebooks are correct when they say the highway is most scenic when driven east to west.
Cost: There is no entrance fee to the park.
www.nps.gov/noca
NORTH CASCADES LEARNING CENTER
For families looking for a little more organization, the center is a great place to start. Run by North Cascades Institute, in partnership with Seattle City Light and the park, the center offers Family Getaways, a mix of organized events and free time to explore along the shores of Diablo Lake and the trails leading into the surrounding mountains.
Built five years ago, the centers design blends into the trees, rocks and hillsides. A central courtyard allows for programs to be held outside even if it rains. There are 70 beds in clean yet utilitarian dorm rooms with shared bathrooms. Meals, which feature generous portions and food grown in the Skagit Valley, are served in a central building. Fans of Holden Village would notice a great similarity albeit more modern between the learning center and the mountain retreat off Lake Chelan.
Christian Martin, the institutes communications director, said the center is exploring ways to open the center to the public. One option is a base camp program where the center would offer rides to trailheads but leave much of the time for the family to fill on their own.
One of the great things, having gone up there, is you meet other families, Jenkins said. Your kids wind up playing with other kids, and you make friends with other parents.
Costs: Three-day getaways are $225 per adult and $155 per child (ages 3-17). Younger children can attend for free.
www.ncascades.org/family or 360-856-5700, Ext. 206
Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640
blogs.thenewstribune.com/adventure
Other things to do
Eagle watching: If you visit in the late fall or winter, Rockport is the central spot for viewing bald eagles that congregate to feed on salmon carcasses in the Skagit River. The Upper Skagit Bald Eagle Festival will be Jan. 30-31; www.skagiteagle.org.
Boat trip: Skagit Tour offers a 21/2-hour tour of Diablo Lake aboard the 50-foot Alice Ross III from June to September; 206-684-3030 or SkagitTours.Reservations@seattle.gov.
Berry picking: If you visit during the summer, stop by Cascadian Farm, at milepost 101, east of Rockport. The organic farm allows you to pick your own blueberries (10 pounds minimum) and offers tasty treats such as cookies and ice cream; www.cfarm.com.
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