North Cascades National Park

North Cascades National Park is a national park in the U.S. state of Washington. It was established on 2 October 1968. The park covers 634,000 acres (257,000 ha) of the Cascade Range (specifically the North Cascades).

Cascades Pass and Pelton Basin

Map of North Cascades National Park

Geography

The Park is split in half by the Skagit River, which flows south then southwest through the park. Another primary watercourse of the park is the Baker River which flows into the Skagit and the Stehekin River (which flows into Lake Chelan in the southeast).

North Cascades National Park features the rugged mountain peaks of the North Cascades Range. This is the most expansive glacial system in the mainland United States. The Park also has the headwaters of numerous waterways, and vast forests with the highest degree of flora biodiversity of any US national park.

History

The region was first settled by Paleo-Indian Native Americans. By the time white explorers arrived it was inhabited by Skagit tribes.