22 Jul Day Trip from Seattle to North Cascades National Park

In my opinion, one of the best possible day trips you can do is a day trip to a national park. If you agree, then you are in the right place. I will lay out the main attractions and activities for a day trip to North Cascades National Park from Seattle. While it is always better to spend more time at a national park, including North Cascades, to truly experience everything it has to offer, that is not always a possibility. Time, money, and the general busyness of life often restrict us to only one day. That being said, North Cascades is 1000% still worth the visit. 

Need some convincing before you start to plan your visit? Then check out the three best reasons to visit North Cascades National Park.

Contents:

1) General Information

2) Diablo Lake Vista Point

3) Thunder Creek Trail

4) Gorge Creek Overlook

5) Trail of the Cedars

1) General Information – Day Trip to North Cascades National Park

North Cascades is only two and a half hours north of Seattle. If you are thinking that is a lot, then let me put this in perspective. Olympic National Park is also a two and a half hour drive west from Seattle, and Mount Rainier National Park is a two hour drive south. That being said, all of the national parks are a similar distance from Seattle. When in Seattle, I recommend you take a day to explore the city. Seattle holds an array of attractions, for example the Space Needle and Kerry Park. 

Additionally, be sure to check out some of the other national parks located on the west coast. The scenery and beauty within national parks never ceases to amaze me. 

No Entrance Fee

Need another reason to make a day trip to North Cascades National Park? There is no entrance fee. You read that right – it costs $0 to enter the park. Additionally, it is one of the least visited national parks in the entire United States, which means it will not be too crowded. Check out this article for more information on why you should visit the park.

Opening Hours – Summer

First, let me say that the park is open all day, every day. However, accessing the park can be quite difficult in the winter months. During the summer months, you can simply drive into the park and enjoy the attractions and activities it has to offer. Nevertheless, please note that some trails will still have snow on them into July and possibly August as well.

Check AllTrails before heading out to see if others have reported snow or ice on the trail recently. If so, make sure you are prepared to hike in those conditions. For example, some trails still had snow on them when we visited in early July. We thus opted for a different trail since we were not prepared to hike in the snow. 

Opening Hours – Autumn through Spring

In relation to accessing the park in the autumn, spring, and winter, State Route 20 (North Cascades Highway) closes for the season in mid to late November and then reopens in April or early May. Specifically, the road closure occurs at milepost 130 or 134. Additionally, all of the visitor centers close during the winter months. They are open generally from late May or early June through late September or early October. 

Nevertheless, the park is still available and open to visitors during these months. For example, camping (with no amenities) is allowed at Goodell Creek, Gorge Lake, and Colonial South Creek Campground all year round. However, you need to come prepared for snowy and possibly hazardous weather conditions. 

Warning: Snow on Trails

One more important thing to note is there is often snow on the trails, especially the trails in the more northern and eastern regions of the park, in spring, fall, and winter. Moreover, there was still snow reported on some trails when we visited in early July. We thus skipped out on those trails and opted for the snow-free ones. This one-day itinerary avoids all snow and thus begins at Diablo Lake Vista Point. We traveled to our furthest destination within the park and then worked our way back from there, visiting other attractions along the way.

Nearby Lodging – Day Trip to North Cascades National Park

If you would like to book lodging outside of the national park, then check out options in Concrete and Winthrop. Otherwise, you can book a campground within the national park and truly embrace nature for the weekend. 

Nearby Airports

There are a few, very small regional airports around the park. However, the closest international airport is the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in the city. It is located about two and a half hours south of the park. 

There is some public transportation available from the airport to the national park. Otherwise, you can rent a car or utilize a ride share service. Even though it is a lot more expensive, I would prefer to rent a car in this situation so I can truly have the freedom I desire to explore the national park without having to abide by a bus schedule. 

Appreciating the scenery by the river’s edge

2) Diablo Lake Vista Point

The first stop of the day trip to North Cascades National Park is Diablo Lake Vista Point. This is one of, if not the, most popular viewpoints in the entire national park. At the overlook visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the turquoise blue lake with mountains surrounding it on all sides.

Plan for 15 to 30 minutes at this vista point, depending on how long you would like to walk around and snap some pictures. Additionally, there are bathrooms available at this location.

Another nearby national park with beautiful turquoise as well as crystal clear lakes is Banff National Park, which is located not too far across the border in Canada. However, Rattlesnake Ledge Trail is a bit closer, located not too far outside of Seattle. It leads to a viewpoint area of Rattlesnake Lake, which is a beautiful blue color. 

Taking in the views at Diablo Lake Vista Point

3) Thunder Creek Trail – Day Trip to North Cascades National Park

Article for more information: Hiking Thunder Creek Trail: To the Suspension Bridge.

The second stop of the day is Thunder Creek Trail. Unfortunately you will need longer than just one day to complete the entire hike as it is 39.2 miles round trip (~63 kilometers or over 19 hours long) and will require you to camp along the trail. However, we decided to hike only four miles (~6.4 kilometers) round trip to the suspension bridge due to our time restrictions. It took us about 40 minutes to hike each way, for a total of one hour and 20 minutes of hiking. We also spent about 30 minutes at the bridge watching the river and snapping some pictures. In terms of difficulty, the hike was fairly easy. The trail is mostly flat, with some slight uphill and downhill portions.

The hike itself was beautiful. We walked through what appeared as an enchanted forest, and the river ran alongside the majority of the trail. Once we arrived at the suspension bridge, the views were even better. We saw the turquoise river running under the bridge with the forest on both sides. Additionally, my boyfriend found a fallen tree and walked out along the trunk. He walked far enough so that he was essentially standing above the river. It made for a great photograph from my perspective as well as his.

If hiking in the winter season when snow is on the trail, consider bringing along hiking poles and crampons for stability and safety. No matter in which season you hike the trail, be sure to bring along water and wear hiking shoes. 

The suspension bridge along the Thunder Creek Trail

4) Gorge Creek Overlook

The third stop of the day trip to North Cascades National Park is the Gorge Creek Overlook. This is a viewpoint of the gorge as well as a waterfall. Park the car in the nearby lot, then walk across the bridge and back again to take in all of the views. There is a small bathroom located here as well. You only need about 30 minutes to stop at the Gorge Creek Overlook.

The gorge is visible from one side of the bridge while the waterfall is more visible from the other side. Therefore, be sure to walk the whole way across the bridge on one side and then walk back along the other side. Additionally, there is a small waterfall just past the bridge across from the parking lot. We, along with various others, walked along a small dirt path so we were right in front of the falls before crossing the street back to our car.

Make sure you also plan time to visit the state of Washington’s most popular waterfall – Snoqualmie Falls.

The waterfall visible from Gorge Creek Overlook

5) Trail of the Cedars Nature Walk – Day Trip to North Cascades National Park

The last stop of the day is the Trail of the Cedars Nature Walk. This is a short yet beautiful walk at the very front of the park. It is located right next to the Skagit Information Center as well as the Skagit General Store. A large parking lot can be found right across the street, and then it is just a short walk to the Trail of the Cedars trailhead. The trail is 0.6 miles (~one kilometer) long with an elevation gain of 26 feet (~8 meters). An average hiker can complete the trail in 15 to 30 minutes.

The trail begins with a suspension bridge. Once again, there are beautiful views of the turquoise river as well as mountains in the background. As you continue along, you will find signs posted with information on the trees, fires in the area, etc. This is a short, easy, and family-friendly activity to end your visit at North Cascades National Park.

If you do not want to leave just yet and have some extra time to explore, check out the nearby information center, general store, or Ladder Creek Falls.

Beginning of the Trail of the Cedars

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For more national park activities: 7 Things to Do in Zion Besides Hiking.

Get ready for some gnarly hikes: 3 Most Difficult Hikes in Zion.