{"id":16365,"date":"2018-09-06T14:31:22","date_gmt":"2018-09-06T20:31:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vicarib.us\/?p=16365"},"modified":"2018-09-06T14:41:40","modified_gmt":"2018-09-06T20:41:40","slug":"north_cascades_national_park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vicarib.us\/blog\/north_cascades_national_park\/","title":{"rendered":"North Cascades National Park: Why It May Be the Most Underrated National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

North Cascades National Park is located in Northern Washington about 3 hours west of Seattle.\u00a0 It is surrounded by national recreation areas and national forests creating a huge play land for you to explore. Whether you only have a day to drive through and check out the viewpoints or weeks to get deep into the wilderness North Cascades National Park should be on your bucket list and here is why:<\/p>\n

It’s Free!<\/h2>\n

That’s right, there is no entrance fee (or even a gate) for the park.\u00a0 Some trailheads do have a day use parking fee, however the Interagency Annual Pass<\/a> is accepted.<\/p>\n

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Hiking in North Cascades<\/p><\/div>\n

It’s Not Crowded!<\/h2>\n

You will not have to wait in long lines, fight for parking spots, or feel like you are hiking with thousands of your closest strangers here.<\/p>\n

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Plenty of Room to Park the Bus at the Trailhead<\/p><\/div>\n

Camping is Cheap!<\/h2>\n

There are tons of options including free spots and the most expensive campsites are only $16.\u00a0 However, all of these are dry camping options.\u00a0 If you need hookups you will have to look outside the park.<\/p>\n

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Hiking in the Newhalem Campground<\/p><\/div>\n

You Don’t Have to Do a Crazy Hike to Get Crazy Views!<\/h2>\n

There are tons of stunning viewpoints like this one of Diablo Lake that you can just drive up to.\u00a0 There are also quite a few short hikes like Rainey Lake that have a big payoff.<\/p>\n

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Diablo Lake Scenic Viewpoint<\/p><\/div>\n

You Can Actually Hike With Your Pup!<\/h2>\n

Most of the trails are actually in the national recreation area or the national forest, so dogs are allowed (on leash of course).\u00a0 They are also allowed on the sections of the park that are part of the Pacific Crest Trail.\u00a0 There are still sections that are National Park that they are not allowed so talk to a ranger or confirm which type of land you are on before setting out on a hike.<\/p>\n

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Miles happy to be at Rainey Lake<\/p><\/div>\n

They Have a Nighttime Hike With Lights!<\/h2>\n

The company town of Newhalem is very proud of its hydroelectric plant and the power of electricity so they created a garden with light up water features to show off their pride and joy.<\/p>\n

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Waterfall All Lit Up<\/p><\/div>\n

Mountains! Glaciers! Forests! Lakes! Rivers! Oh My!<\/h2>\n

Seriously, there is stunning beauty in every direction!<\/p>\n

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You can see more by checking out our youtube video:<\/p>\n<\/div>