Jagged mountain peaks topped by glaciers; thick Douglas-fir forests sheltering cougars, grizzly bears, and moose; deep, ice-cold lakes and thundering waterfalls: This is North Cascades National Park, 800 square miles of spectacular, unspoiled wilderness in Washington State.

Running north to south within the park are the imposing Picket mountains, which include some of the Cascade Range's sharpest peaks; several tower over 9,000 feet. There are more than 300 glaciers within the park over half of all the glaciers in the U.S. outside Alaska.

The western slopes of the mountains catch moisture arriving on winds from the Pacific Ocean. Winter storms bring snow that packs into dense ice, forming the glaciers. In summer, melt water from the glaciers feeds scores of rushing mountain streams that grow into rivers as they travel west.

 

The park is cut in half by the Ross Lake Recreational Area, which borders the Skagit River. Visitors can find lodging and other services along the highway in the recreational area. The park itself is accessible only by a series of hiking trails.

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