The 9 Best Hikes In North Cascades National Park From A Local

For years I dreamed of visiting North Cascades National Park. I discovered it as an adult when I looked through my brand new national parks hiking book. I was surprised I never even heard about this park. The stark colors of Diablo Lake next to the tall mountains felt out of this world. Once I moved to Washington, I realized why this park might not be as popular as Yosemite. The trails are pretty difficult, and the park is tucked away from any major city near the Canadian Border. If you are all about tremendous stunning 360-degree mountain views, you will fall in love with this park. However, you have to work for that view but trust me, it is worth it! So take a look below at some of the best hikes in North Cascades National Park. You will surely fall in love with this underrated park.

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How To Get To North Cascades National Park

The easiest way to get to North Cascades National is by flying into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and renting a car, and driving to SR 20 – North Cascades Highway. The drive to Diablo Lake from the airport is around 138 miles and is a 3-hour drive.

North Cascades National Park Map

For the official North Cascades National Park Service Map, click here. You can also save the North Cascades National Park trail map below, but please note you cannot see it when you don’t have service, which is more than likely in this area.

Best Time To Go For North Cascades Hikes

The best time to visit the North Cascades is hand down summer (Mid June Through September). July is when the snow really starts melting, and August is the best month to visit out of the whole year.

The Fall is another great time to visit because of the yellow larches. Around Mid October, the whole state of Washington chases these beautiful yellow trees, so expect crowds! The trails with these trees are Blue Lake and Maple Pass Loop, which I talk about below.

Avalanches are common in winter and spring, which is why I never go there during these seasons.

Where To Stay When Hiking The North Cascades

Finding a hotel near North Cascades National Park can be a pain. I usually like to camp or backpack in this area since there are slim pickings. But I have provided a map below that shows all the Airbnb’s and hotels nearby. Just zoom out.

For more information on camping, click here. I have stayed at Colonial Creek and Gorge Lake, and they are good campgrounds. Gorge Lake has more of a quiet vibe compared to Colonial Creek. But Colonial Creek is located right next to Diablo Lake. There is also a cute place nearby called The Rolling Huts.

Read More: 25 Cozy Cabin Stays In Washington State

What To Pack When Hiking North Cascades National Park

1. Sunscreen: Super important and it is part of the ten essentials!  >Buy Sunscreen
2. Chapstick: This one has SPF so your lips won’t get burned! >Check Out This Chapstick
3. Hiking Boots/Shoes: If you use tennis shoes, you can easily hurt your toes hitting a rock by accident (Trust me, I have done it so many times before). >Check Out My Hiking Shoes
4. Hiking socks: Having the correct socks helps prevent getting blisters. Smart Wool is probably my favorite brand out there. >Buy Hiking Socks
5. Water Reservoir: Water reservoirs help prevent dehydration while hiking. The great thing about this reservoir is that it doesn’t have a plastic taste. >Here Is My Water Reservoir
6. Water: Stay nice and hydrated.
7. Sunglasses: It can get sunny even in the fall, so make sure to pack some sunglasses. >Check Out These Sunglasses
8. Snacks: The best snacks are jerky, nuts, and energy bars. >>>Check Out These Snacks
9. Camera: The Sony A6000 was one of the first cameras I started traveling with. The Sony A6000 is an excellent camera for people that want to start improving at travel photography.  >Buy Sony Camera Here
10. First Aid Kit: This is one of the first things I bought when I first started going on adventures. It is super portable. >Buy This Awesome First Aid Kit Here
11. Day Pack to carry all your things: To carry all your gear, water, and food, you need a good backpack. Osprey is known to have some of the best backpacks in the market. >Buy This Great Quality Backpack
12. Headlamp: A headlamp is an absolute must in case you get stranded in the dark! It is a lot more portable and easier to use than a flashlight. >Buy A Headlamp Now
13. Leggings or Hiking Pants: I always wear leggings while hiking because it is what I feel most comfortable with! >Click For My Favorite Hiking Leggings
14. Breathable sweat-wicking shirts: Cotton shirts soak up your sweat when hiking, so make sure to wear something breathable. >Check out this awesome breathable shirt here.
15. Mid Base Layer: If you are hiking in the winter, this might be a great idea. I usually still bring them in the summer because I do a lot of sunset hikes, and it is chilly at night. >Check Out My Sweater Here
16. Sports Bra: For women. >Check This One Here
17. Jacket: I always have a jacket in my backpack, even if it is hot. I do it just in case of an emergency.  >Buy My Favorite Jacket
18. Rain Jacket: The worst feeling in the world is being wet and cold while hiking. You can get hypothermia, so always carry a poncho or a rain jacket when you hike Washington. >Check Out My Rain Jacket Here
19. Tripod: This is an optional item, but it is excellent for getting the ideal sunset pictures. >Check out this tripod
20. Knife: I always carry a knife in my backpack just in case. >Check Out My Knife Here
21. National Park Pass: If you are an avid hiker like me, it’s worth getting the year-long America The Beautiful Pass. >Get It Here
22. National Park Map: Get a printed map here!

Best Hikes In North Cascades National Park

Hidden Lake

• Distance: 7.5 miles, round trip
• Elevation Gain: 3,254 ft.
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Hard
• Trail Guide: Link

Hidden Lake is a dreamy, fantastic hike. I will warn you that getting to the trailhead was a pain. The road is absolutely atrocious and is one of the worst I have seen in Washington. But if you have a high clearance car, it shouldn’t be a problem.

This trail has it all, though. Forest views, a lush green valley with waterfalls, a fire lookout, and breathtaking mountains with a lake that actually looks hidden. We ended up hiking this for sunset and camping nearby. If you can, I recommend backpacking here. I wish we would have backpacked instead of hiked because this trail was magnificent. It needed more time to take in the beauty, and a backpacking trip would have been perfect.

We did go at the beginning of August, and the lake was still frozen, but even though it was, it did not take away from the magic. We almost didn’t do the trail because I thought it wouldn’t look as epic.

Maple Pass Loop

• Distance: 7.4 miles, round trip
• Elevation Gain: 2,191 ft.
• Route Type: Loop
• Difficulty: Hard
• Trail Guide: Link

As you can see from my photos, Maple Pass Loop is one of the most stunning hikes I have ever done. I decided to wait and do this trail during the fall so I could photograph the yellow larches. It was the first time I ever witnessed these beautiful trees, and I could not stop taking pictures.

I will say that even if there were no yellow larches, this trail would still be magnificent. I decided to go counter-clockwise, and I am so glad I did because the views were better towards the end of the trail as the sun was setting. That is how we got the bubblegum pink colors with the grandiose mountains.

I know that this trail is usually packed with many people, especially in the Fall, so get there early or get there late. Since we did it during sunset, we saw like two people towards the end of the trail. We did have to drive home very late, but it was so worth it.

Blue Lake Trail

• Distance: 4.6 miles, round trip
• Elevation Gain: 921 ft.
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trail Guide: Link

Blue Lake is a great trail for a beginner hiker. The trails are challenging at North Cascades National Park, but this hike is one of the easiest ones. The view at the end is stunning, and many people were swimming in the lake having a good time. I don’t ever swim in any of the lakes, though, as I am too much of a wimp.

I would choose Blue Lake Trail over the Thunder Knob and Diablo Lake trail because you can always see Diablo Lake at The Viewpoint (I talk about this below).

I also want to note that this is another great Fall hike because the yellow larches come out brilliantly. It snows here pretty early in the season, so you have to catch it at the right time.

Thunder Knob Trail

• Distance: 3.4 miles, round trip
• Elevation Gain: 675 ft.
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trail Guide: Link

The Thunder Knob trail is an easy beginner hike for the whole family. It is also a great trail to do at the beginning of the summer season since the trail isn’t at a high elevation. It has fantastic views of Diablo Lake,  Sourdough Mountain, and the snowfield of Davis Peak.

Parking can be a pain since it is located near the campground, and it is one of the easiest trails in the park, so get there early.

Cascade Pass And Sahale Arm

• Distance: 12.1 miles, round trip
• Elevation Gain: 5,029 ft.
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Hard
• Trail Guide: Link

If you only have time for one trail on your trip, you need to do this hike. First off, I want to say that this is a tough and long hike. So, beginner hikers, I will defer you to Blue Lake, which is a lot more doable.

But if you are all about the challenge, then you definitely need to do this trail. Driving to the trailhead was painful. This is another road that is pretty crappy, but you should have no problems if you have a high clearance car.

The trailhead is already the most beautiful trailhead I have ever seen in Washington State. Not many trailheads look glorious in this state. But this one took my breath away, so I knew this was going to be an outstanding hike right from the beginning.

The beginning of the trail has a million switchbacks through the forest. Eventually, the trail takes you out of the forest, and you get stunning views of mountains everywhere you step. This is technically the Cascade Pass trail. If you want, you can end the trail here. We ended up doing this just because we ran out of time, but you can go on and witness the Sahale Arm.

Many people love to get a backpacking permit at this section. It is challenging to grab one of these babies. We tried and failed but ended up getting a backpacking permit at Johannesburg Campground, located at the trailhead.

Diablo Lake Trail

• Distance: 7.2 miles, round trip
• Elevation Gain: 1,512 ft.
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trail Guide: Link

This another trail that is great for the early summer season. If you are tired of the same old winter hikes in Washington, then this is the perfect Spring hike!

This trail will not lead you to the iconic view overlooking Diablo Lake’s glacier blue colors. The hike itself offers some small gorge viewpoints but nothing like what the Diablo Lake vista point offers(I talk about it below).

But this trail has fantastic views of Ross Lake, Colonial, Pyramid, Davis Peaks, Jack Mountain and features a waterfall.

Cutthroat Lake and Cutthroat Pass

• Distance: 11.4 miles, round trip
• Elevation Gain: 2,473 ft.
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Hard
• Trail Guide: Link

If you are hiking around Washington in the Fall then you need to check out Cutthroat Pass and Cutthroat Lakes! This trail is stunning! It is filled with larches and has so much more than Maple Pass Loop. It is also a lot less popular. The views at Maple Pass are better though but if you want to get away from the crowds this is the way to go!

There are two ways to hike this trail and that is via PCT or via the Cutthroat Lake. The Cutthroat Lake Trail is longer by a mile and a half and features a lake. I have done the PCT and I would do this route if you are looking for Fall colors as this side of the mountain is filled with larches.

Trail Of The Cedars

• Distance: 0.6 miles, round trip
• Elevation Gain: 26 ft.
• Route Type: Loop
• Difficulty: Easy
• Trail Guide: Link

Trail of the Cedars is a very easy hike to do with the whole family. There is no elevation gain, and it is extremely short. The bridge is so cute and the trees are mossy and green. It is the perfect trail on rainy or foggy days.

Ladder Creek Falls

• Distance: 0.5 miles, round trip
• Elevation Gain: 72 ft.
• Route Type: Loop
• Difficulty: Easy
• Trail Guide: Link

Ladder Creek Falls is another easy trail you can do with kids and is located close to the Trail of the Cedars. The trail features a waterfall, a garden, and a bridge. It is a unique waterfall because it is the only waterfall in Washington that is lit up at night! The trail has many lamps, and the waterfall is known to change colors throughout the night. The waterfall runs on a 15-minute repeating program from dusk until midnight year-round.

Other Activities At North Cascades National Park

Diablo Lake Lookout

I feel like everyone needs to experience this magnificent viewpoint. It requires you to park and take in the wonderful views. For 5 years, I dreamed of seeing The Diablo Lake Viewpoint because I was always taken aback by all the stunning pictures.

The pictures, of course, did not do this view any justice. The bright blue fluorescent colors really pop on a sunny magnificent day. It is almost blinding. So drive up to this viewpoint and take in the beauty. It is worth it!

Kayak or Stand Up Paddle Board

People love to Kayak around Diablo Lake. We actually brought our Kayak to the park, but we were too tired from all the difficult hikes, so we didn’t experience it. But we ended up watching the kayakers pass us by at the lakeshore. A good place to park and launch is the Thunder Knob Trailhead.

I learned from my realtor, which sounds fun, that you can kayak to an island on Diablo Lake and camp there for the night. He told me Hidden Cove is a stunning campsite. You do need a backcountry permit, and you can read more about it here.

Washington Pass Overlook

If you are hiking Blue Lake or Maple Pass Loop, then the Washington Pass Observation Site is an easy place to get some great photos. The viewpoint is located near the Blue Lake trailhead, and the views here are phenomenal!

Final Thoughts On Best Day Hikes In North Cascades National Park Washington

Thanks for reading all about North Cascades National park hiking! It really is one of my favorite areas in Washington State. Make sure to check out some of the other areas I have explored in Washington:

• Best Hikes In Olympic National Park
• Best Hikes In Mount Rainier National Park
• Best Hikes In Washington State
• Best Hikes In The Columbia River Gorge
• The Best Mt. Baker Hikes In WA State
• The Most Incredible Washington Road Trip Itinerary: 7-14 days

Pin For Later: North Cascade Hikes