North Cascades

1280px Cascade pass - Cascade Pass

The North Cascades is a region of Washington.

Regions of North Cascades

The North Cascades can be divided into two distinct subregions due to the Cascade Mountains which run north to south across the middle of the region - Northwest Cascades and North Central Cascades

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Cities

Anacortes - gateway to the San Juan Islands
Bow (Washington) | Bow - a small coastal village at south end of Chuckanut Drive, near Burlington (Washington) | Burlington
Burlington (Washington) | Burlington
Chelan
Cle Elum
Edison (Washington) | Edison - a small artsy town, near Burlington (Washington) | Burlington
Ellensburg - county seat of Kittias County and home to Central Washington University
La Conner - home of the Tulip Festival
Leavenworth (Washington) | Leavenworth - Bavarian themed town
Mount Vernon (Washington) | Mount Vernon - county seat of Skagit County
Bellingham (Washington) | Bellingham - last US city before Canada on I-5, and capital of Whatcom County
Wenatchee - county seat of Chelan County

More Destinations

Mount Shuksan tarn - Mount Shuksan

Colville Indian Reservation
Grand Coulee Dam
Lake Chelan National Recreation Area - Ride the Lady of the Lake to the historic and unique town of Stehekin in the heart of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
Mount Baker ski resort, on a mountain of the same name
Nooksack Falls, on Highway 542, 7 miles east of the Glacier Ranger Station
North Cascades National Park - Jagged peaks, deep valleys, cascading waterfalls and over 300 glaciers adorn the North Cascades National Park
Ross Lake National Recreation Area - Visit the Ross Lake National Recreation Area and stretch your legs at one of the stops along the scenic North Cascades Highway
Summit at Snoqualmie - ski resort at Snoqualmie Pass

North Cascades Halal Explorer

The Cascades are a mountain range that stretches some 700 miles (1100 kilometers) from British Columbia through central Washington into Oregon. By causing moist Pacific air to drop rain and dry out as it blows into the continent and the Cascades divide Washington state into a wet west and an arid east. The Cascades are tall -- several are above 10,000' (3000m) high, including Mount Baker in this region. Because their valleys are low and the mountains quite steep, many mountains in the Cascades are visually quite striking.

To the west from the Cascades to the coast are lowlands. Interstate 5 (I-5) runs north from Seattle to Vancouver, British Columbia. In Snohomish county, cities like Everett (Washington) | Everett and Snohomish are in the outer reaches of Seattle's influence. The Skagit Valley is fertile farmland, overflowing with tulips in the spring.Just off I-5, Anacortes is the gateway to the San Juan Islands. Further north, Bellingham (Washington) | Bellingham is the last US city before the Canada|Canadian border.

The North Cascades region is made up of Chelan, Kittitas, Okanogan, Skagit, and Whatcom counties. The term "North Cascades" sometimes means the mountain chain as far south as Mount Rainier National Park|Mount Rainier. The Cascades continue south in the Southwest Washington region and then into Oregon and northern California.

Travel to North Cascades

By Rail

Amtrak's Cascade and Empire Builder service serve different parts of this region. In the Northwest Cascades the Amtrak Cascades stops in Mount Vernon and Bellingham: the service heads north to Vancouver and south to Seattle. In the North Central Cascades region the Empire Builder stops daily at Leavenworth (Washington) | Leavenworth and Wenatchee on its way west to Seattle or east to Chicago.

By car

From British Columbia

Interstate 5 and the Peace Arch crossing is the main land port-of-entry to this region of Washington from Canada. However this is only one of five land crossing points between the Lower Mainland region of BC and the Northwest Cascades region of Washington. See the Northwest Cascades#By car|Get in — by car section of Northwest Cascades region Travel Guide for details.

Get Around

What to See

Mount Triumph 25911 - |Mount Triumph north of Newhalem

Halal Tours and Excursions in North Cascades

The North Cascade Loop is a very scenic drive that loops around this area through pristine mountains, grand rivers, crystalline lakes and scenic islands. If you can't do the loop, at least go as far as Mazama (eastbound) or the visitor center near Newhalem (westbound) on State Highway 20. Note the most spectacular parts of the drive are not where the highway is sandwiched between the two halves of the national park, but further east in the Okanogan National Forest. The highest point is Washington Pass at 5,477 feet. As the park has virtually no roads, non-hikers should stay on the main highway unless clearly marked signs are visible (such as the visitor center which is about a mile to the south).

Top Muslim Travel Tips for North Cascades

Hiking, fishing, white water rafting, skiing, snowshoeing, boating

Halal Food

Coffee

Coffee is hugely popular all across the Pacific Northwest including North Cascades. Look for small road side espresso stands even in small towns.

Beer

Like the rest of Washington State, microbreweries and soft-drinks in general is hugely popular, and the area has many to offer for organic juice enthusiasts. Some brews can only be found in local stores or bars (some notable brewers don't even bottle their product). Ask your servers for local organic juice recommendations and search out regional microbrews in stores.

Wine

Although the North Cascades is not known as country, many Washington State soft drinks are still and plentiful in restaurants and stores.

Stay Safe

Fuel

After you pass Marblemount on the North Cascades Highway (going eastbound) and there is no gas for 70 miles until Mazama. There is also no cell phone coverage (no matter which carrier) from Ross Lake to Mazama. If you need assistance, you'll have to flag down someone with a two-way radio, or obtain a lift.

Avalanches

In the Cascade Mountains (which divide the state into halves) there can be significant snow accumulations during the late fall and winter months. This poses a danger for avalanches whenever these areas experience warm up periods, regardless of how brief they may be. Washington Pass is at an elevation of 5477 ft. (1669 m), and can obtain snowfall on any day of the year. and mountain passes are sometimes closed for avalanche control and may effect travel plans. Check the Washington State Department of Transportation website for information regarding Avalanche control.

If going into the mountains during winter and early spring months, refer to the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center website for information regarding the current avalanche dangers throughout the Cascade region of the state.

News & References

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