North Cascades National Park

  The 504,781 acres of the North Cascades Park were granted some protection in 1897 when they were designated a Forest Reserve to be managed by the US Forest Service. Many people believed that they would be better protected as a national park and the issue was debated several times over the years. In 1968 the area was finally given national park status. 93 percent of the park is wilderness with access by trails only. 

  With so much of the park wilderness we thought that we would  just be driving through but surprising a number of short accessible trails are located right off of route 20 which bisects the park. All of the accessible features are listed HERE with sort descriptions of each. They are in order starting at the west end of the park and going east. We did not visit all of them but of the ones we did this is what we found:

Visitor Center and Sterling Monro Trail – very short boardwalk, completely accessible, a low railing at view point. Haze from forest fires obscured many of the views during our visit. The visitor center is accessible.

River Loop Trail – excellent one mile long loop, wide, hard packed surface. The off shoot trail that goes to the visitor center is steep and most wheelchair users will need assistance.

Linking Trail – hard packed one mile trail.

Rock Shelter Trail – short, steep, gravel surface. Most wheelchair users will need assistance. Not much to see at shelter.

Newhalem – paved paths in town area with interpretive signs. Follow the town road or drive to the parking lot to see the power house. Newhalem is a company town built by Seattle City Light in 1917. The Gorge Dam power plant began providing electricity to Seattle in 1924. It and two more hydro- electric dams on the Skagit River, built in 1930 and 1940, supply 20 percent of the city’s power.

Trail of the Cedars – short loop, half wide and gravel, other hard packed dirt and crushed stone with one hill. Wheelchair users may need assistance.

Gorge Overlook Trail – the first section, steep but paved, leads to an overlook.  A crushed rock and packed dirt trail completes the loop. Most wheelchair users will need assistance.

        

Diablo Lake Overlook – very good, paved with interpretive signs.

Happy Creek Forest Walk – very short loop of boardwalk and gravel. Slight uphill.

Rainy Lake Trail – excellent, one mile long paved trail that ends at an alpine lake. Slight grades. Wheelchair users may need assistance.

  We stayed at the Newhalem Campground in the accessible site in loop C. The site is very good - wide, level and paved with an extended top on the table and a fire ring with high sides. The paved trail to the restroom is used by other campers. Back in so your outdoor area is on the opposite side.

   The visitor center, overlook, and all of the trails except for Happy Creek have plenty of parking for RVs.  Park  48.66599, -121.26845