Planning a Trip

Getting There & Gateways

Only one paved road, Wash. State Route 20, goes through the park complex. There are a few unpaved side trips, though. The Cascade River Road, which leaves Wash. 20 at Marblemount, enters the national park proper as an unpaved road. The gravel Stehekin Valley Road above High Bridge also enters the national park. This road does not connect with the outside world, however; rather, the park concessionaire provides a shuttle service along this road from mid-May to mid-October.

From Seattle on the west side, take the Wash. State Route 20 exit 230 off I-5 and head east, toward Rockport and Marblemount, into the park. From Spokane, the major metropolitan area on the east side, it's U.S. 2 West, linking up with U.S. 97 North, to Wash. State Route 153 and, finally, Wash. State Route 20. And remember, in the winter, these roads may close at any time from late October to early May. Be sure to call ahead.

The Nearest Airport -- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (tel. 206/787-5388; www.portseattle.org/seatac) is 15 miles south of Seattle on I-5. The airport is served by practically all major airlines and car-rental companies.

Information

Contact North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 Wash. State Rte. 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 (tel. 360/854-7200; www.nps.gov/noca). The park publishes an annual newspaper, the North Cascades Challenger, full of useful information. For current information, such as road closures, call or check the park's website.

Visitor Information

The North Cascades Visitor Center, mile marker 120, Wash. State Rte. 20, Newhalem (tel. 206/386-4495, ext. 11), open daily in the summer, offers exhibits, audiovisual programs, a bookstore, and assistance from rangers. A wheelchair-accessible trail (Sterling Munro Viewpoint) leads from the back of the building and affords excellent views of the surrounding mountains. Several other universally accessible trails, including the Rock Shelter Trail, are nearby.

The Golden West Visitor Center, P.O. Box 7, Stehekin, WA 98852 (tel. 360/854-7365, ext. 14), is on the banks of the northern tip of Lake Chelan. It provides information on camping, hiking, backcountry permits, and the local environs, and has interpretive exhibits and a bookstore. It's open daily in the summer and keeps shorter hours in winter. You can also rent bicycles from a concessionaire.

Getting Around Inside the Park

By Air -- If you want to get to Stehekin in a hurry, you can make the trip by floatplane on Chelan Seaplanes (tel. 509/682-5555; www.chelanseaplanes.com), which leaves from the dock next to the ferries at Chelan. The fare is $160 round-trip adults, $100 for kids under 12.

By Boat -- On Lake Chelan in the spring and summer, the Lady Express and the Lady of the Lake II run between the Lake Chelan boat landing and Stehekin, at the north end of the lake. In the fall and winter, only the Lady Express operates. Rides cost $39 to $59 round-trip, depending on the boat. Contact Lady of the Lake (tel. 509/682-4584; www.ladyofthelake.com). The Ross Lake Resort (tel. 206/386-4437) operates water taxis to trail heads and campgrounds on Ross Lake and offers portage service.

By Shuttle Bus -- A shuttle bus provides transportation up the Stehekin Valley Road.

No reservations are required, and the cost is $5 one-way. If you want to ride as far as the Stehekin Pastry Company, the fare is only $2 each way.

Taxi service is also available from the North Cascades Stehekin Lodge at the boat landing.

Fee & Permits

There are currently no entrance fees for the park complex, though there are fees for camping. The Northwest Forest Pass ($5 per day, $30 per year) is required for Forest Service trail heads. A dock fee pass ($5 per day, $40 per year) is required on Lake Chelan from May 1 until October 31. Backcountry permits are required but free.

Special Regulations & Warnings

Wash. State Route 20 is usually closed from mid-November through mid-April. Call the park complex headquarters in Sedro-Woolley (tel. 360/854-7200), or check the park's website, www.nps.gov/noca, for current information.

Check in at a visitor center for full details on trails before you head into the backcountry. This is bear and mountain lion (cougar) country; pick up the free handout on hiking and camping safety.

Other than the general precautions that anyone would take when camping in a wilderness area, keep in mind that the North Cascades National Park Service Complex can be extremely remote for both the backcountry hiker and the park driver. Even when day hiking, remember to carry enough water (and all of the 10 essential items). Don't forget bug spray -- the area has a lot of water (not necessarily to drink) and, consequently, lots of insects during some seasons at some locations.