Winter has made itself at home in Washington State, making the winter sports enthusiasts happy, but many Tri-Citians are making plans for those few weeks of vacation time coming when the skies clear and the roads are once again passable. Washington State is home to bountiful rivers and an enviable coastline, but it also possesses some byways through the most scenic of mountains. The North Cascades Scenic Highway is a drive that shares the bragging rights to the natural beauty of the northern part of our state.
For those living in Eastern Washington, the trip to enjoy the North Cascades Highway is an extra day away than for those living on the west side of the state. When people talk about driving the North Cascades Highway, they are referring to a 140-mile scenic drive on a section of the Cascade Loop, State Route 20. It starts near the town of Sedro-Woolley (Skagit Valley) and ends at Twisp (Methow Valley). Consequently, Tri-Citians need to plan a drive to the west side of the state and then enjoy the scenic drive across the North Cascades on the following day.
Like Mount Rainier, the North Cascades Highway runs through the center of a national park. Similarly, it offers an abundance of hiking trails, waterfalls, and alpine views, but it offers fewer amenities. It’s more for the explorer who enjoys backcountry. While there is no Sunrise Lodge or Paradise Lodge like Mt. Rainier boasts, there are over 100 campsites available. However, they are backcountry sites meant for small tents and self-contained camping. The drive is full of hairpin turns that offer phenomenal views. Because there are no accommodations along the scenic drive, visitors often seek lodging either on the west or east side of the park. The town of Concrete (west) offers food and vacation rentals, and the western-themed town of Winthrop (east) is the end of the trail when traveling from the west.
Planning your trip, complete with reservations, will be critical to the adventure across the highway because there are no places to buy food en route. This adventure through the North Cascades National Park will take you through remote areas with no cell service! But, if you plan accordingly, you can stay in Winthrop at the end of your drive and this quaint town offers a local brewery (Old Schoolhouse Brewery), a bakery, and an excellent pizza restaurant. If camping is your choice, travelers can stay at Pearrygin Lake State Park, near Winthrop. It’s a park of over 1100 acres that features a spring-fed lake for fishing and cooling off in the summer heat.
If you’ve been exploring the beautiful Washington State, but haven’t yet driven the North Cascades Highway, plan to use a few of those scheduled days off next summer to enjoy the rugged beauty of our northern most national park and scenic byway.
