you paddle yourself or hire a water taxi. See the camping page on the park’s website for details.
blue tarns (small alpine lakes) that are guaranteed to boggle the mind and test the stamina of its few but dedicated number of visitors (just 38,208 last year) who come to challenge the park’s 400-mile network of hiking trails. And, while its many glaciers are slowly receding (as they are elsewhere in the world), this park affords you some of the best glacier-viewing opportunities anywhere south of Alaska. There also are plenty of boating, fishing, hunting and camping opportunities between June and September when most of the snow has melted. The summer season also signals the opening of North Cascades Highway, (State Route 20) the main highway into the park. ◾
RV camping and houseboat rental are available in the gateway city of International Falls and nearby resort communities of Kabetagoma Lake / Ash River and Crane Lake. Fair warning: You should make advance reservations— from three to six months ahead of your planned visit—for all hotel rooms, campsites, and boat tours. While the park receives only about 230,000 visitors per year, the busy summer season is short—from late May to September—so reservations really are a must.
www.nps.gov/voya | 218-283-6600
North Cascades National Park, Washington For mountaineers and serious backpackers, it is peak time right now to plan a summer visit to Washington state’s North Cascades National Park. This massive preserve of more than a half-million acres is studded with glaciated peaks and freckled with idyllic sapphire-
www.nps.gov/noca | 360-856-5700
www.nps.gov/voya | 218-283-6600
North Cascades National Park.
LONELIEST NATIONAL PARKS
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE FALL 2024 | 29
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