Comprised of an endless range of epic glaciers, lakes, and valleys, North Cascades National Park is bizarrely one of the least visited Parks in the Country.

Despite being located just two and a half hours from downtown Seattle, North Cascades National Park is the 5th least visited National Park (behind even American Samoa) receiving only 28,646 visitors in 2016, which is 1.3 million less visitors than nearby Mt. Rainier and 3.3 million less visitors than Olympic National Park on the opposite side of Seattle.

Famous for its views of the mountains and glaciers of the eponymous Cascade Mountain range, the region was made a National Park in 1968 by President Johnson after years of lobbying by forester and conservationist Bob Marshall.

Although a paved main road runs through the center of the Park, the majority of the trails must be reached by either dirt roads or backpacking, due to the Park Service designating 93% of the area as “Wilderness”(meaning no development allowed).

While I highly recommend the Park and feel it is equally (if not more) stunning than Mount Rainier or Olympic, I would highly recommend renting a sturdy vehicle (for the many unpaved roads) and allowing for extra time when visiting, as the logistics of getting around the Park can be difficult.

Here are my photos and captions from my trip: