Get Away to the North Cascades with Visit Bellingham & Whatcom County

With more than 500,000 acres, the North Cascades National Park is one of the largest of three National Park Service units in Washington State. It was established as a National Park in 1968 in order to preserve the mountain scenery, snowfield, glaciers, waterfalls and alpine meadows that make up the North Cascades. Since then it has been nicknamed the “American Alps” and recently celebrated its 51st anniversary.

The North Cascades National Park is composed of three different parks; Ross Lake, Lake Chelan and North Cascades National Park. Popular hikes include; Diablo Lake, Cascade Pass Trial, Maple Pass Loop and Hidden Lake.

In 1986, The North Cascades Institute was founded. This nationally recognized nonprofit organization works to inspire and empower people to enjoy and learn about the mountains, rivers and forests of the Pacific Northwest. The Institute offers a variety of classes year-round in order to share the history, makeup and preservation of the National Park.

The Institute hosts a variety of programs and camps including Family getaways and Base camp Learning and Lodging. Campers have the opportunity learn about the “American Alps” while enjoying the comforts of their award winning campus in the heart of the North Cascades National Park.

North Cascades can be accessed as part of the Cascade Loop!

Learn more about this amazing scenic round trip (and its wondrous connecting outings such as Chuckanut Drive up to Bellingham). Have fun exploring!

We acknowledge that Whatcom County is located on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples. They cared for the lands that included what we’d call the Puget Sound region, Vancouver Island and British Columbia since time immemorial. This gives us the great obligation and opportunity to learn how to care for our surrounding areas and all the natural and human resources we require to live. We express our deepest respect and gratitude for our indigenous neighbors, the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe, for their enduring care and protection of our shared lands and waterways.