Winthrop, Washington

As an initial note, to spend an overnight at Sahale Glacier Camp, you need to obtain a permit at the North Cascades Ranger Station in Marblemount, Washington. Permits are limited, so get there early or call in advance. To start, go to Marblemount, WA and then drive ~23 miles east on Cascade Rive...

The Approach Starting at the Trinity trailhead you'll hike the Buck Creek Trail towards Buck Creek Pass. The trail is fairly obvious once the snows have melted but if you are going early season (June-early July) you will definitely want to bring a GPS.  The trail works it's way up the valley alon...

Standing on the knife edge summit, the terrain around you plummets steeply into glacier-filled basins that trickle into turquoise alpine lakes. Serrated snowy peaks give way to forest covered valleys below that craft a rugged landscape. Eldorado Peak delivers you atop this wild and mountainous wo...

This is a short hike at just under 2 miles round-trip, with little elevation change. The trail begins at a parking area, alongside Washington Route 20. The hike takes you through the forest to an overlook of both Ross Dam and Ross Lake, before making the final descent down to the dam. The trail i...

This hike along Thunder Creek in North Cascades National Park is perfect for families and beginner backpackers. The trail is at a lower elevation in the park so it is a great early-season hike, but be sure to check with the ranger station for trail and weather conditions before you go. Starting ...

Ruby Mountain is one of the North Cascades more prominent peaks, sitting high above Diablo and Ross Lakes. This trip is one for more experienced hikers with a very aggressive incline from start to finish. If that does not scare you then definitely add this amazing hike to your list. While it can ...

Starting at the Colonial Creek Campgrounds, the trail starts out fairly flat taking you along Thunder Creek for about two miles to the Fourth of July Pass trail head. Once you reach here, the trail begins to climb.Beginning with switch backs, the path straightens out for a while before coming to ...

Diablo lake is the perfect place to camp if you're looking for solitude and natural beauty. It's northeast from Seattle in the North Cascades. Colonial Creek Campground has large camp sites right on the lake. It is first come first serve, however check out is at noon so arrive around 11:30 to sna...

Chelan Butte provides sweeping views of Lake Chelan and the Columbia River and is actually located within the limits of the City of Chelan, with the trailhead sitting just outside the downtown area. While Chelan Butte is typically covered in snow during the winter providing a nice snowshoe, most ...

The Similkameen Trail is a short section of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail(PNT) as it heads west from the the town of Oroville, WA following an old railroad grade in the heart of the Okanagan.From the trailhead in town you'll head west for 1.5 miles before coming to an alternate trai...

Day hike with moderate elevation gain, 2.1 miles one way. You will be going up, up, up until you get to the top where you will find the lake. Take your time going up - take breaks and stop to check out the forest around you. There were a few times where we found it difficult to follow the trail (...

Going east from Newhalem on highway 20, turn off towards the small town of Diablo. There are signs from there on where to park. This hike is very difficult. It is very steep and gains elevation very quickly and right from the start. Once you get above tree line though you are greeted with great ...

Be careful when heading up this 4.5 mile trail since there can be snow coverage into the summer. When you start the trail, you'll get a little tree coverage as you start climbing up. Unfortunately, the shade starts to dissipate after about a mile, where you'll cross over Sibley Creek and enter th...

...After spending my 3 days exploring and capturing the partial lunar eclipse at North Cascades National Park in Washington, I was eager to find another adventure that I haven't done yet or others didn't know much about. As I was driving East leaving Gorge Creek Falls, .9 miles on my left I spott...

The larch meadows on the approach to Mt. Frosty are known for 2 things: 1. Wild flowers during the summer and 2. Larches during the autumn.The trail climbs up the south end of Lightning Lake; it is well groomed and graded all the way up. The steepest section is the climb out of Lightning Lakes – ...