Go North Cascades - Hiking, Kayaking, Biking, Recreation, Hunting, Fishing

The Cascade Mountains offer Hiking, Camping, Kayaking, Climbing, Hunting and Fishing, and a variety of snow sports.

If these are your interests, explore our exciting website to find out more about outdoor recreation in the North Cascades.

Whether you live in Seattle, or are just visiting Seattle and looking for recreation, continue reading for a list of places, features, and activities that set apart the North Cascades.

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1) North Cascades National Park: We'd certainly be remiss if we didn't specifically mention the biggest and arguably the best attraction in the North Cascades-North Cascades National Park.

The North Cascades National Park Service Complex comprises 684,313 acres of land and includes the Lake Chelan and Ross Lake national recreation areas. It resides in the northern reaches of the Cascade Mountain Range in northwestern Washington and is surrounded by forest lands on the south, west, and east and by provincial lands in British Columbia in the north.

Incredible Sights: One of the things that set this park apart from others is its beauty. In fact, it's interesting to note that earlier in this piece we made a distinction between recreation and beauty when in fact witnessing beauty is recreation to some.

And if you're one of those types then taking in the park's Glacier Peak Wilderness in the Mount Baker - Snoqualmie and Wenatchee national forests will be your type of thing, as will taking in Lake Chelan in the southern part of the forest.

We're talking about a totally natural lake that sits in a trough carved by glaciers. Oh yeah, and it's 1,500 feet deep, making it one of the deepest lakes in the entire country. But we could sit here and talk about the sheer beauty of North Cascades National Park and its 400 plus glaciers and multitude of 8,000 foot peaks forever. Let's get to some ideas regarding what to do both there and in the areas surrounding.

Cycling: There are plenty of places to cycle in the North Cascades. The North Cascades Highway is Route 20 in Washington, really the only truly viable way to get into this country, is just one of them. Of course, remember that cycling this scenic area is not for first timers.

In other words, to make this distance you're going to need some power and endurance to traverse the area from Rockport to Winthrop.

There are plenty of other cycling opportunities as well.

Fishing: It seems almost absurd to mention this as it's so obvious, but there is a whole lot of fishing in the area as well. Simply pick one of the bodies of water noted at this website and find information on this tranquil pastime.

Lake Chelan, Diablo Lake, and Ross Lake are just some of the possibilities.

Kayaking and Canoeing: If water is your game, then the North Casades, well, let's just say they have you covered. Try Ross Lake (Ross Lake Resort- 206-386-4437) or Diablo Lake. You'll need a permit to camp along the way at Ross, so make sure that you do your homework.

Mountain Climbing: There are plenty of mountains to climb in the North Cascades. Try Mount Shuksan, a 9,127 footer that once atop will rival any views you have ever taken in. Mt. Baker is, of course, the highest peak in the North Cascades reaching into the sky 10,781 feet. But if you're less experienced at all of this then there are other options.

Blue Peak and Wallaby Peak (West Ridge) are two of these. That said, you'll need to be in shape even if strong technical climbing skills may not be as important.

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