North Cascades National Park in Washington has amazing views of the Cascade Mountain Range. North Cascades’ location is a bit remote compared to Washington’s two other national parks, but it offers spectacular views of the rugged Cascade Mountains, Ross Lake, and Diablo Lake, plus plenty of scenic trails.
If you’re visiting North Cascades National Park, you’ll soon discover that planning a trip there can be a bit confusing. This guide is here to help you by telling you everything you need to know about how to get to the park.
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How To Get to North Cascades National Park
Where is North Cascades National Park located?
So where is the North Cascades National Park located? The park lies in the north of Washington state on and close to the Canada-US border. You can drive from Vancouver, BC or Seattle to Cascades National Park, depending on which section of the park you plan to visit.
Access to the park is free. You can get details on directions to North Cascades National Park in the Driving to the Park section of this guide.
North Cascades National Park Sections
North Cascades National Park has four separate sections which include the North Cascades National Park’s northern section; the Ross Lake National Recreational Area; the North Cascades National Park’s southern section; and the Chelan Lake National Recreational Area further down south.
Here are the sections and stations at the park complex:
North Cascades National Park – Northern Unit
The Hozomeen, Mount Shuksan, and Copper Ridge areas are in the northern sections of the park and are reached via Silver-Skagit Road and State Route 542.
Hozomeen is near the Canadian border and is accessed from Canada. The Silver-Skagit Road is the only vehicle access going to Hozomeen. The 39-mile route starts from Highway 1 less than 2 miles west of Hope, BC on exit 168.
Visitor Centers:
Glacier Public Service Center
Forest Info Center with HQ Administration Building
Ross Lake National Recreation Area
This area is what technically divides the north and south units of North Cascades National Park.
It’s lies on either side of Highway 20, which is also called the North Cascades Highway. This section is the main part of the North Cascades’ scenic drive and is the most visited area of the park. It includes the park’s main entrance on Highway 20’s west side. The North Cascades Highway connects with several routes to Burlington, Okanogan, and Twisp.
Visitor Centers:
North Cascades Visitor Center
Skagit Information Center
North Cascades National Park – Southern Unit
The south unit is more remote compared to other sections of the park. You can check for road conditions at the Wilderness Information Center located in Marblemount or the NPS website.
You can get to the park’s southern trails via the winding Cascade River Road leading you to the Cascade Pass Trail. You can also access other trails like Bridge Creek Trail and the Park Creek Pass, which is a popular stop for hikers during summer.
Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
This is the southeast section of the North Cascades National Park location and includes the Stehekin community. There is no vehicle access to Stehekin but you can drive or take a bus to Chelan and a passenger ferry from there.
Visitor Center:
Golden West Visitor Center
What is the closest town to North Cascades National Park?
There are several cities and towns near North Cascades National Park that make convenient access points. Deciding on how to get to the park will also depend on which city or town you’ll be staying in and what section(s) of the park you want to see.
Towns and Cities Near the Park’s West Side
On the west side of the park, you can access Newhalem, Marblemount, and Concrete.
Newhalem is a town near North Cascades National Park just about 25 minutes away from the North Cascades Visitor Center. You’ll also enjoy a visit to the Skagit Information Center near Ladder Creek Falls Trail and the scenic views at the Trail of the Cedars.
Marblemount lets you enjoy more adventurous activities on the Skagit Wild and Scenic River System like river rafting, fishing, and viewing wildlife or birdwatching.
Concrete gives you more of a small-town charm with lots of local restaurants and shops.
If you’re coming from Seattle, Marblemount and Concrete are both less than two hours away from the city, but Marblemount is closer to the park entrance.
If you prefer staying in larger cities near North Cascades National Park, Bellingham is just an hour and a half away from the north section of the park through Cascade Loop. You can also take a scenic drive to the famous Mount Baker Highway.
Both Seattle and Vancouver, BC are two to three hours away from North Cascades National Park, so you can make a stopover before or after you visit the park. It’s also possible to visit North Cascades as a day trip from Seattle, though this will limit your time in the park itself.
Towns and Cities Near the Park’s East Side
If you’re looking for the closest town to North Cascades National Park’s east side, the most popular access towns are Winthrop and Mazama.
Winthrop is an interesting town to visit because the entire town is built to look and feel like something from the old wild west. It’s close to several park attractions like the Washington Pass Overlook, Maple Pass, and Blue Lake. It’s about a 25-30-minute drive to these locations.
Mazama is even closer to the park and offers plenty of beautiful scenery, though it has few facilities other than some scattered accommodations compared to Winthrop.
Stehekin is located on the northern shore of Lake Chelan. There are no roads to the town, so the only ways to get there are by boat from Chekan on the lake’s southern shore or by seaplane from Seattle on NW Seaplanes.
Convenient access towns include Wenatchee, Cashmere, and Leavenworth, which are all more or less an hour from Chelan. You can take a bus (Link Transit has several routes) or rental car to Chelan, and then take a 2.5-hour – 4-hour boat trip (depending on the boat) by the Lady of the Lake boat company or the Stehekin Ferry Service from Chelan to Stehekin.
Flights to North Cascades National Park
The closest airport to North Cascades National Park is Bellingham International Airport. This airport is only 77 miles from the national park’s main entrance, so it’ll only take you an hour and a half to get there, though it does have fewer flights than the larger airports.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is about two hours from the park’s main west entrance. To get from Seattle airport to North Cascades National Park, you can pick up a rental car and drive approximately 120 miles to the North Cascades Visitor Center. From the Chelan area of North Cascades National Park to Seattle and vice versa, is around 190 miles/ a three-and-a-half-hour drive.
Vancouver International Airport is another option – this is about three hours away and requires an international border crossing, but is a convenient option for the park’s northern Hozomeen area, which is about 130 to 135 miles away. You have plenty of car rental options at this airport.
For North Cascades National Park airport services near the park’s southeast section, Pangborn Memorial Airport offers limited commercial service to Wenatchee and Chelan. NW Seaplanes along with Kenmore Air Harbor provides floatplane services from Chelan to Stehekin and the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.
For more information about flying to North Cascades, read my guide to the best airports for North Cascades National Park.
Check prices on flights to Seattle Airport here
Taking the Train to North Cascades National Park
Train routes and services directly inside North Cascades National Park aren’t available. But if you prefer getting to the park by train, you have options for Amtrak and VIA Rail services to and from nearby towns and locations. You can then get a rental car from these areas to inside the park.
Train route to towns near North Cascades National Park’s North Unit
It’s more convenient to access the North Unit from Canada. VIA’s Canadian offers trips three times a week between Toronto and Vancouver via Hope, Abbotsford, and Chilliwack. Hope station doesn’t have car rental services nearby, so the best routes to reach the North Cascades National Park are via Chilliwack, Abbotsford, or Vancouver, where you can pick up a rental car.
Train route to Ross Lake National Recreation Area and North Cascades National Park’s South Unit
Amtrak Cascades has daily routes from Seattle and Vancouver, BC via Mount Vernon station. There aren’t any car rental services inside this station, but there’s an Enterprise car rental just 5 minutes from there. It’s about an hour’s drive to the North Cascades National Park entrance from Mount Vernon.
You can also get off the train at Bellingham station. Zipcar and Enterprise Rent-A-Car services are around 6-10 minutes away from the station.
Train route to towns near Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
Amtrak’s Empire Builder train routes also run daily from Minneapolis-St. Paul going to Seattle via Spokane.
To get to the park’s Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, you can get off at the Wenatchee station and pick up an Enterprise car rental, which is 4 minutes away from the station. Though there’s another Amtrak station at Leavenworth, there’s no car rental service near this station, so it’s much better to get off at Wenatchee instead. In Wenatchee, you can take a bus or drive to Chelan and then take a ferry to Lake Chelan Recreation Area.
Taking a Bus to North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park doesn’t have NPS shuttle buses available to get you around the park. However, several bus routes can take you to towns and cities close to the park.
Bus routes to the west side of North Cascades National Park
If you’re taking a bus from Seattle to North Cascades National Park, you can get a Greyhound bus at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Amtrak’s Seattle King Street station, and the Greyhound bus terminal.
Greyhound buses have routes to several towns close to the national park including Mount Vernon and Bellingham on Highway 99. From these stops, there are plenty of car rental agencies to pick up a vehicle that you’ll need to get you in and around the park itself.
There are two other bus services with routes on the west section of the park. Whatcom Transportation Authority has limited routes to Bellingham and the State Route 542 areas.
Another option is taking the Skagit Transit with fixed routes to communities along State Route 20 including Sedro-Woolley, Concrete, Mount Vernon, Skagit, and occasionally to Marblemount. Mount Vernon station is your best option to get a rental car, with an Enterprise car rental located a few minutes from the bus stop.
Bus routes to the east side of North Cascades National Park
To get to the park’s east section, you can take Greyhound buses with stops to Leavenworth or Wenatchee first. A better option would be to get off in Wenatchee since Leavenworth doesn’t have any car rental services nearby. There’s an Enterprise car rental 3 minutes away from the Wenatchee bus station.
Another option to get you from Wenatchee to Chelan is via Link Transit bus on the Entiat-Chelan-Manson route. It takes about an hour. From there, you can access the ferry to the Lake Chelan Recreation Area.
Getting to North Cascades National Park by Boat/ Ferry
There are two areas near and within North Cascades National Park that you can only reach by boat – the Ross Lake Resort and Stehekin.
The Ross Lake Resort is a National Park Service authorized concessioner that offers cabin rentals along with water taxis and portage services at the marina. They can make ferry reservations for you on the Diablo/Seattle City Light Ferry, which has routes twice a day.
Your other option to reach the resort is to take a 2.5-mile hike at the Ross Lake/Dam trailhead, passing across the dam and around the resort area.
If you’re heading for Stehekin, you can choose from two ferry services, Lake Chelan Boat Company, and Stehekin Ferry. Lake Chelan Boat Company offers routes to and from Chelan and Stehekin with scheduled stops at Lucerne and Fields Point, while Stehekin Ferry provides round-trip services from Fields Point to Stehekin, and vice versa.
The other option is the Lady of the Lake boat company, which has fast boats so you can visit Stehekin as a day trip if you prefer not to stay overnight.
Driving to North Cascades National Park, Washington State
Driving the North Cascades Loop
If you’re up for a fun road trip, take the North Cascades Loop for lots of great scenery. This will make your drive from Seattle to North Cascades National Park an especially memorable experience.
The North Cascades drive starts from Everett just north of Seattle. It can be done either clockwise or counterclockwise.
For a counterclockwise trip, start by heading east to Leavenworth, Wenatchee, and Chelan. Pass through farmlands at Methow and Skagit Valleys, and head to the west towards Stevens Pass Greenway and North Cascades National Park on highway 20.
Complete the full stretch of your trip from Anacortes by traveling south to Clinton, and back to Everett.
Be sure to check my Road Trip Essentials Checklist before setting out to make sure you have everything you need.
Driving Directions from Key Destinations
If you’re coming from major cities, below are North Cascades National Park directions and details to help you plan.
Driving from Seattle to North Cascades National Park – Ross Lake Area
Distance: 107 miles
Travel time: more or less 2 hours
Driving directions:
From Seattle’s 4th Avenue get on I-5 N. Follow I-5 N until you get to WA-530 E or State Route 530 Northeast in Snohomish County. Continue driving along the highway until you reach Rockport’s State Route 20 East. Turn right to State Route 20 East to reach the park entrance.
Driving from Bellingham to North Cascades National Park– Ross Lake Area
Distance: 71 miles
Travel time: 1 hour and 25 minutes
Driving directions:
To drive from Bellingham WA to North Cascades National Park, take I-5 South from West Magnolia Street and Lakeway Drive. Continue along I-5 South until you reach Cook Road in Skagit County. From I-5 South, take the exit at 232. Follow Cook Road and head towards Borseth Street in Sedro-Woolley. Then, drive to State Route 20 East which leads you to the park entrance.
Driving from Vancouver to North Cascades National Park – Ross Lake Area
Distance: 125 miles
Travel time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Driving directions:
From Vancouver, drive northeast on Hornby Street going to West Georgia Street/BC-1A/BC-99 N. Continue on BC-99 South, then take I-5 South going to Cook Road in Skagit County, US. Take Exit 232 from I-5 S, then drive to State Route 20 East. You’ll reach the park entrance from there.
Driving from Burlington WA to North Cascades National Park – Ross Lake Area
Distance: 50 miles
Travel time: 1 hour
Driving directions:
Drive from Burlington by heading east on East Fairhaven Avenue going towards South Anacortes Street. Make a left turn at the 1st cross street going to North Anacortes Street. Turn right to get to Cascade Highway, and make another right turn to State Route 20 East. When you reach the traffic route, drive straight to Borseth Street. Continue driving until you get to West Moore Street, and head towards State Route 20 East after the roundabout.
Driving from Spokane to North Cascades via Chelan
Distance: 152 miles
Travel time: 3 hours
Driving directions:
The nearest access from Spokane is through the east side of the park so you’ll only drive until Chelan. Your route starts from North Monroe Street going to I-90 West. Take U.S. Route 2 West and head towards WA-172 East in Douglas County. Continue driving along WA-172 East until you get to McNeil Canyon Road and reach US-97 North. Make a right turn on US-97 North and continue on WA-150. Then, take East Johnson Avenue in Chelan. From Chelan, take the ferry service to Lake Chelan Recreation Area.
Driving from North Cascades to Olympic National Park
Distance: 166 miles
Travel time: 4 hours
Driving directions:
It’s possible to visit Olympic National Park after North Cascades. The route starts as you drive west on State Route 20 W going to NF-1060. Drive along State Route 530 Northeast until you get to WA-530 W/WA-9 South in Snohomish County. From there, take I-5 South and WA-104 West going to Edmonds – Kingston Ferry in Edmonds. Take the Edmonds – Kingston Ferry going to Kingston. Drive along WA-104 West and US-101 North. Continue driving until you get to North Race Street in Port Angeles. Then, follow North Race Street going to Mt. Angeles Road until you reach the park entrance.
Rent a car at the Seattle Airport here
FAQs about How to Get to North Cascades National Park
How do you get to North Cascades National Park without a car?
You can get to North Cascades National Park by flying to the nearest airports or traveling via bus and train services to nearby towns and cities. It depends on what section of the park you’re heading to. You can get a ferry from Chelan to Stehekin (or fly there direct from Seattle).
However, to get into the other areas of North Cascades National Park, you will need to rent a car, as there are no shuttles or tours into the park.
Where do you fly into for North Cascades National Park?
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Vancouver International Airport, and Bellingham International Airport are the closest airports to North Cascades National Park.
What is the closest town to North Cascades National Park?
On the west side of the North Cascades National Park, the nearest towns include Newhalem, Marblemount, and Concrete, while Winthrop and Mazama are close to the park’s east section. The nearest major city is Seattle.
Is North Cascades a day trip from Seattle?
Yes, you can easily get to North Cascades from Seattle for a day trip, though a weekend will give you more time to enjoy the park.
How long does it take to drive the North Cascade Loop?
You can drive the complete 440-mile loop in one day, but it will be very rushed. I recommend a minimum of two days, but to really enjoy the trip and give yourself time to do some hikes and enjoy the scenery to its fullest, four to five days are best.
Travel Insurance for North Cascades
You should definitely have travel insurance when you travel to North Cascades. Good travel insurance will cover you for trip cancellation, theft or damage of your property when traveling, medical help if you have an accident in or while visiting North Cascades National Park, or medical repatriation if you need to get medi-vaced out.
A great insurance option is Travelex. It has coverage for all you’ll need. You can choose the best travel insurance plan for your trip here or get a quote right now:
Enjoy North Cascades National Park!
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How To Get to North Cascades National Park
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About the Author
James Ian is a national park, camping and hiking expert.
He has dedicated his life to travel, visiting more than 80 countries, all 7 continents and most of the national parks in the United States. With over 35 years experience in the travel industry, James has worked on cruise ships, at resorts and hotels, and as a travel planner who’s helped hundreds of people plan successful trips to US national parks.
Based on his experience visiting our national parks multiple times, in-depth research and expertise as a travel planner, James has published detailed itineraries for most of the major national parks in the US. These itineraries, as well as in-depth park guides, comprehensive camping and hiking gear reviews and buying guides, and helpful packing lists and gift guides will help you have your own incredible trip to US national parks without stress and hassle.
As a national park expert, James has contributed to many publications, including USA Today, Time Business News, Savoteur, Best Trip, and Wired.
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