North Cascades National Park Amazing 3 Day Weekend Itinerary

This trip to North Cascades National Park is one we were looking forward to for quite awhile. Especially after we extended our contracts into “summer” in Seattle. When we began planning, we thought most of the snow would be gone by the end of June. That did not exactly turn out to be the case.

North Cascades National Park is less than three hours northeast of Seattle, and is regarded as the “American Alps.” This park is less visited than some of the other national parks in the PNW, but that does not mean it is not falls behind. From the steep, rugged alpine peaks to the beautiful blue lakes, this park has so much to see.

Thursday PM

We were able to adjust our work schedules to get a 3 day weekend for this trip. It started Thursday night after work, we packed up the Tucson with all of our car camping gear and Kirby, and headed out. We made it to our AirBnB campsite in Marblemount, WA, just outside of the park and set up “camp.”

Our first night car camping (check out our post on all we have learned about car camping) was certainly a learning experience, to say the least. We learned quickly that when you are camping in the mountains, you may need a BLANKET! Overnight temperatures into the low 40’s made for a very chilly night, lesson learned. Fortunately for us, there was a store close enough that had a sleeping bag that we bought the next day and used as a blanket.

As is the case with most awesome places, it was difficult to narrow down what we wanted to get to on our trip. Our rough draft itinerary was to stay Thursday and Friday night at the campsite in Marblemount. After that we would drive to Leavenworth, WA and stay in a hotel in town Saturday night. The we would finish up with a hike before heading back home on Sunday. There are so many beautiful hikes in this park. But, the snow and road closures were a big obstacle to some of the deeper hikes due to the “longer than normal” winter in 2022.

Check out this awesome map from the NPS for an overview of the scenic byway and what you can see along the way!

Friday

Our first hike on Friday was up Sourdough mountain. It was a BEAST (~7.5 miles, ~4200 feet elevation gain). We ended up having to turn back just before the top of the mountain due to the conditions. It was the first hot weekend of the year, so there was a lot of snow melt and the footing was giving way in a sketchy spot. Even though we did not make it all the way, the hike was still amazing! Some of the views of the North Cascades National Park are just jaw dropping.

After we made it back down the mountain, with our quads on fire, we drove about 10 minutes to Diablo Lake Overlook. Pretty incredible views, and we have never seen a lake that color. With the exploring done for the day, we found a spot by the river and had a cold beer before heading back to camp for dinner and s’mores by the campfire.

Saturday

Saturday morning we woke up, made coffee and some breakfast tacos (food just tastes better while camping) and headed out for our next adventure. For this one, we were driving up Cascade River Road, and were unsure just how far we could get, due to road closures. We were able to make it up the VERY bumpy, pot hole filled to our trailhead for Hidden Lake Lookout.

The first part of the hike was great, and then we got above the tree line. About a mile in, it turned into a scramble up the snow, and we lost the actual trail. We gave it a go, but eventually decided it was time to turn around. But, not before we got a couple pics. It was a bummer that we did not make it all the way, but it was still worth it because of the epic views.

We trekked back to the car, and then started off towards Leavenworth. Initially, we were hoping to be able to hike Maple Pass Trail, but it was still too snowy for us. It is definitely still on our list, and should be on yours, because it looks amazing. From here, we left the North Cascades National Park area and moved on to our next stop.

It is almost a 4 hour drive to Leavenworth from Marblemount, but the scenery helps pass the time. We stopped near Lake Chelan for a late lunch, and that seems like a fun place to take a boat out in the warmer months.

Leavenworth, Washington

Leavenworth is a small Bavarian-styled village nestled in the Cascade Mountains. It is very popular around the holidays, and is a very unique town, with a lot of character. Worth checking out, for sure.

Eventually, we made it in to Leavenworth and checked into the Loge Downtown. It can be pricey there, and this place was more affordable. It is a “semi-hostel” type hotel. We had our own room, but shared a bathroom. Multiple different options are available at different price points. There is all sorts of bikes and hiking gear that you can rent for free, we highly recommend this place and would stay again. As expected, there are plenty of German brats and beers to go around, and they are all fantastic. I enjoyed the brats at Leavenworth Sausage Garten more than Munchen Haus , but hard to go wrong either way.

Sunday

Last adventure of the trip was to Colchuck Lake. This was one of the first hikes that was suggested to us when we made it up to the PNW. It did not disappoint. The hike itself was not overly difficult, but was crowded by the time we were coming back down. Parking can be tough, so get there early. The water is freezing cold, but taking the leap to jump in was well worth it.

We would highly recommend the Cascade Scenic Loop Highway to everyone. There are a ton of different options for how you can construct your trip, so it can meet the needs of all types of explorers.

Things that we are keeping on the list for next time:

• Cascade Pass and Sahale Arm Trail (highest priority)
• Maple Pass Trail
• Pierce Mountain Camp

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