North Cascades National Park guide · 1 min read
The American Alps: 300+ Glaciers
North Cascades National Park is home to roughly 312 glaciers, more than any other national park in the United States outside Alaska.
That ice makes up about a third of the glaciers in the lower 48 states. The park carries the nickname the American Alps, a name that fits its sharp, snow-capped summits. From some viewpoints, the scene looks more like Switzerland than Washington State.
Boston Glacier is the largest glacier in the park, spreading across about 1,730 acres on the north slope of Boston Peak. In the south part of the park, Eldorado Peak overlooks several glaciers, including Inspiration, Forbidden and Quien Sabe.
Mount Shuksan rises to 9,131 feet in the northwest corner of the park and ranks as its second highest peak. It is a frequent subject for photographers. A good vantage point is the Heather Meadows Visitor Center, which lies well outside the park in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Farther north, the Picket Range packs in peaks, most of them over 8,000 feet, including Mount Terror, Phantom Peak and Mount Fury.
Mountain climbing is a major draw. The Sulphide Glacier route on Mount Shuksan is reached from Baker Lake Road, while Copper Ridge, the northern Picket Range and Mount Shuksan are accessed from State Route 542 east of Bellingham. Any overnight stay, climbs included, needs a backcountry permit, and most are issued at the Wilderness Information Center near Marblemount.
This is a landscape sensitive to the Earth's changing climate. Across the wider park complex, the glaciers amount to about 27,000 acres. Much of the park carries the Wilderness designation, so roads and developed facilities are scarce.
