With more than 300 glaciers concentrated in the mountains of this mostly-wilderness park, Washington state’s North Cascades National Park is constantly changing due to climate forces at play. For those seeking solitude, and the chance to wander among giant peaks, beautiful blue lakes, and ever-changing glaciers, this park has much to offer.
Following our time in Vancouver on our Summer 2019 Road Trip, our family decided to take a detour to visit North Cascades National Park, in Northern Washington. It was on our original itinerary, nixed later on, and then added back in as we got closer to it on our adventure. After securing a spot in Nehalem for the night at the campground inside the park, we decided upon a late afternoon walk along the Skagit River called the River Loop. It was a nice way to stretch our legs after almost a full day in the car (including over an hour and a half waiting to cross the border back into the US!), and to get a feel for North Cascades.
The next morning, we planned to make a visit to the Visitor Center first thing, so the kids could turn in their Junior Ranger books. At that point, we headed to the trailhead for our morning hike – Thunder’s Knob Trail. It was pretty hot by the time we got out there, and a few of the kids (who shall remain nameless) struggled at first until we got into our groove. We had some great views of Diablo Lake at the top of the trail, and then made our way down. It was a gorgeous hike, and we would recommend it as a great way to see the glacial lakes that this park is known for, especially with children in tow.
