30 mile section of Washington State Route 20 through North Cascades National Park providing access to old growth forests, cascading waterfalls, overlooks, hiking trails, and mountain scenery of North Cascades.The highway has been called "The Most Beautiful Mountain Highway in the State of Washington."

Overview

State Route 20 (SR 20), also known as the North Cascades Highway, is a state highway that traverses the state of Washington. It is the state's longest highway, traveling 436 miles (702 km) across the northern areas of Washington, from U.S. Route 101 (US 101) at Discovery Bay on the Olympic Peninsula to US 2 near the Idaho state border in Newport. The highway travels across Whidbey Island, North Cascades National Park, the Okanagan Highland, the Kettle River Range, and the Selkirk Mountains. SR 20 connects several major north–south state highways, including Interstate 5 (I-5) in Burlington, US 97 through the Okanogan–Omak area, SR 21 in Republic, and US 395 from Kettle Falls to Colville.

SR 20's path across the Cascades follows one of the oldest state roads in Washington, established in 1896 as a wagon route. The wagon road fell into disuse within a decade, and the state government postponed the construction of a new route across the North Cascades for several decades. The development of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project spurred boosters to lobby the state for a new route across Washington Pass, which was opened in 1972. SR 20 originally ran from the Mount Vernon area to Okanogan. By 1973, SR 20 was extended over existing state highways in northern Washington, replacing SR 113 and portions of SR 525 and SR 536 near Port Townsend; SR 30 and SR 294 from Tonasket to Tiger; and part of SR 31 from Tiger to Newport.

After passing Marblemount, the highway enters North Cascades National Park and Whatcom County. It heads further northeast through Newhalem, a preserved company town for Seattle City Light, and the narrow Diablo Canyon to the Diablo Dam and Diablo Lake, a reservoir that is colored turquoise blue. The roadway makes a long hairpin turn around the southern arm of the lake, crossing it at a narrow point and passing a scenic viewpoint, and continues northeast to Ross Lake. From Ross Lake, SR 20 follows Ruby Creek and Canyon Creek, heading southeast out of the national park and back into Skagit County. The highway crosses Rainy Pass and briefly joins the Pacific Crest Trail as it travels around Whistler Mountain, climbing up into Chelan County. SR 20 turns north and crosses Washington Pass into Okanogan County, making a hairpin turn and beginning its descent into Eastern Washington. Allow at least an hour to drive this beautiful, winding road, and add more time for stops along the way.

Highlights along the North Cascades Highway

North Cascades Visitor Center Explore exhibits on the natural and cultural history of the park complex View the Picket Range from the Sterling Munro Boardwalk Newhalem Visit the Skagit Information Center Tour the Gorge Powerhouse Enjoy the forests and creeks of Newhalem on a variety of easy trails Gorge Creek Falls Walk along a short, interpretive trail to an overlook Take in views of a waterfall, gorge, and dam Diablo Lake Overlook Enjoy stunning views of the lake and surrounding mountain peaks Happy Creek Forest Walk Take a peaceful, shaded stroll through a moss-covered forest Ross Lake Overlooks Enjoy the view out over Ross Lake

Thunder Creek and Park Creek Trails

The Thunder Creek Trail begins in ancient forests and takes the hiker on a sojourn into the heart of the park, following the cloudy-blue, glacier-fed creek from its lower forested reaches to its origins high on the heathered slopes of Park Creek Pass. Day hikers can take an easy stroll two miles (3.2 km) to the first bridge, or do a longer, more strenuous hike up to Fourth of July Pass or farther along the main trail. Backpackers enjoy the lower reaches of the Thunder Creek Trail as a shoulder-season getaway, or mid-season as a multi-day trip up and over the spectacular Park Creek Pass into the Stehekin Valley.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "North Cascades National Park", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0

This article uses material from nps.gov "North Cascades National Park"