Lake Ann did not disappoint. Breathtaking vistas, meadows, glaciers, and of course the lake. It is…read morerated on the Washington Trails Association as a HARD hike. Approximately 8.2 miles round trip 1900 feet elevation gain, with the highest point 4900 feet. I do recommend getting there early, before 9am, as the parking lot is very small and fills quickly! 4 stars because of the crowds. The trail starts downhill which is a confidence booster especially when you are backpacking. But what goes down, must come up! The last mile is probably what classifies this hike as hard. Hiking up, over loose gravel and boulders and up to almost 5000 feet elevation is difficult for us non-Colorado living people. On the trail you cross many small creek beds that were almost all dried up when we went here at the end of the summer. There is plenty of water at the lake for water source. There are multiple well groomed areas for tents along the trail uphill from the lake. I appreciated these spots at night when the mosquitoes came out and we're a nuisance (only when getting water). Speaking of night... do dress for cold weather! You do get the breeze coming off of Shuksan's glaciers. Very little salmon berries left on the main trail but plenty of huckleberries left. Night time is beautiful. The sky is completely full of stars and the sound of waterfalls coming out of the glaciers is relaxing. No campfires allowed at the lake. Pack out trash and human and animal waste. Trailhead provides blue bags for this.

If you're a hiker: Lake Ann is a gorgeous place to camp! You have sweeping views of Mt Shuksan and…read moreit's cracking Upper and Lower Glaciers. Rushing waterfalls augment the flanks of these enormous sheets of ice. The lake is a deep blue and there is plenty of flat space to find the perfect camp site. If you're a climber: this makes for a LONG summit day. Best to keep moving and camp higher on the peak.

Beautiful state Park!! One of my favorites!!! Love my Skagit River Spot and we can go hiking. The…read morePark host is very nice and SO helpful! Rusty & Greg are great, Park Rangers!! Always get back to you and answer questions that you have about many camp grounds they take care of in the area. We always have a great time & feel refreshed after our camping weekend!

The park is beautiful , peaceful and clean but coin operated shower is a downfall and no laundry at…read moresite .

Honestly not sure if there is a better view to be had! You could just take it in from the parking…read morelot (it's worth the drive up), or embark on one of many hikes which originate from the trail head. Even the short trails give you unbeatable views of Baker and Shuksan. Definitely check snow and weather conditions before you drive up, especially in the shoulder season. It's otherwise usually closed in the winter. Will be back for sure!

World class views and potential photos here with minimal effort so long as the snow conditions are…read morenot a problem for your vehicle, driving skills, or patience.

A must-stop on the North Cascades Highway! ​If you are…read moredriving the Cascade Loop, you absolutely cannot pass by the Diablo Lake Overlook. The view from up here is nothing short of breathtaking. The contrast between the vibrant turquoise water and the deep green of the surrounding forest is unreal--it almost looks like it's been photoshopped in real life. Pictures and videos don't even do it justice; you have to see it with your own eyes to believe it. ​There is plenty of parking, a well-maintained viewing platform, and great informational signs explaining how the glaciers and faults shaped this stunning landscape. It can get a bit windy, but the breeze is incredibly refreshing. It's easily one of the most beautiful and rewarding road trip stops in Washington State. Bring your camera and take your time taking it all in!

I do feel slightly weird reviewing natural wonders on Yelp, but why the heck not…read more Diablo Lake is undoubtedly stunning. It's most notable feature is it's gorgeous turquoise color, caused by the reflection of "rock flour". This Vista Point is a super easy turnout from the highway. There's also nice picnic tables and out-houses.

Beautiful and peaceful State Park…read more We were heading to North Cascades Park and saw the sign for Rockport. We try to check out any state parks we can, so we made an impromptu turn in. There were only a couple cars in the lot, and no one in sight. As I was in the bathroom...which by the way, as another reviewer mentioned, were some of the cleanest I've ever seen in a park...my husband was checking out the trail map. Knowing my deep affinity for trees, especially the elderly ones, he had quickly made the decision we were taking a short trail while here. We took off across the highway to Sauk Springs Trail to see the old grandmother cedar. The trail was a bit muddy at times but nothing tragic. A narrow, serene path winds through the old growth forest passing by the GORGEOUS old cedar and continuing on the loop back to the park entrance. On our way back to the van we noticed a sign about the now closed campground portion of the park. Personally I loved the idea that rather than destroy the precious old growth trees that had become fragile, the park decided in 2007 to close the campground, letting nature have its home while letting hikers still take in the beauty via foot or by driving through. As we left we did just that, drove a loop through the old campgrounds...so cool to see nature slowly reclaiming the space. This park is beautiful. Pristine grounds and lovely trails. Definitely a great place to stop by for a picnic, a hike, and to check out old Grandmother!

My mom and I came to Rockport State Park on Wednesday the 1st of July 2020 together. The park is…read morepart of the Washington State Parks and you need a Discover Pass to park at the location. After parking and putting our annual Discover Pass on display we visited the informational pavilions. One was stocked with maps of the trail systems at both Rasar and Rockport State Park. We took one of those to help us if we got lost in the forest. We were happy to find the trail we chose to hike that day was marked with a trail system map at the trail junction with the paved road. A restroom building is located just uphill from the parking lot. We stopped there before venturing out on the Fern Creek Trail. The day we visited it was supposed to be rainy most of the day and we had found a brief window where it was not raining. Thus we decided to take a shorter trail just to see what we could see before it started raining again. It was simple to find the Fern Creek Trail, this was one of the few times I referred to the paper map while hiking just to double check we hadn't taken a wrong turn along the road. Trees along the Fern Creek Trail reach over 400 years in age. Cool to be hiking with giants that are older than the United States of America is on paper. Birds called and flitted around as we made our way through the old growth forest. We encountered a tree that had cracked and fallen. Hedgy the Hedgehog liked exploring this tree. Huckleberries and wild blueberries lined the path in several places. The trail itself was mostly flat. Due to the recent rain some parts of the trail had standing water, other parts were muddy. We didn't do much talking except exclamations of excitement over how neat the forest and trees were. After finishing the trail we made our way back to the car and departed the park for the day. It started raining as we started driving back west on Washington State Route 20.

Spontaneous Saturday trip to Diablo Lake in Northern Washington but we parked and stayed in Thunder…read moreKnob Trailhead. We drove for almost 3 hours, but when we were looking for a place to park, I lost my signal sevice! Diablo Lake is big and long! We found a spot to relax and swim, but the water was 10°C (so cold, hahaha!). It's still a gorgeous place to visit! Remember, it's better with chairs, snacks, kayaks, paddleboards, and drinks! It's so nice to set aside city and technology life! Just for sure, we are looking to rest and swim and not to hike! But still it is a beautiful nature to see

A vibrant trail with some sensational views! The Thunder Knob trail is a short but moderate 3.5…read moremile out and back trail that's located within North Cascades National Park. The trail begins just behind Diablo Lake and crosses over the beautiful rushing waters of Colonial Creek. It then begins to gently switchback through a lush forest that's filled with beautiful Douglas Fir and Western Hemlock trees. The trail is mostly shaded but features a few breaks within the trees that will reveal some amazing glimpses of the snowcapped mountaintops. As you ascend up the trail, you're rewarded with gorgeous views of the forest and mountains. The forest vegetation is super versatile. I was able to spot daisies, ferns, Western Hemlocks, Douglas Firs, an array of different wildflowers, and so on. The views are the best at the top, of course. There's this stunning vista point that features an aerial view of Diablo Lake with the striking North Cascades Mountain Range in the background. If there was ever a time to get a photo while on this hike, THIS is where you need to do it. It's simply breathtaking to witness. This is also a great spot to bring a picnic and/or take a lunch or snack break for heading back down to finish the second half of the hike. What I genuinely loved about this trail (aside from the views) was how incredibly green it is. The vibrancy is out of this world. Also, to see how clear Diablo Lake is from the top is just insane. It doesn't even look real, but it definitely is! The best part about hiking this trail is being able to literally walk right down to lake to relax after you've finished your hike. It's the perfect reward, and hiking this trail was truly a wonderful experience.

We hiked to Cascade Pass and Sahale Glacier and it is probably one of the best but hardest day…read morehikes I've done. I would read the trail reports ahead of time so you know the conditions before heading out. The road to the trailhead is LONG but doable in sedan although it was a bit questionable at times. So just know your vehicle and have a backup plan just in case! As many others have stated the trailhead parking fills up EARLY. We also started early and are glad that we did to try and avoid hiking too much in the sun later in the day. Be sure to bring enough water and food, as especially the combo Cascade Pass + Sahale Glacier hike is loooong, steep, with quite a bit of sun exposure especially after you get to Cascade Pass. We saw goats, pikas, grouse, and loved that! I really just cannot describe the views, it is hard to believe such a beautiful place exists.

Oh yes, yes, yes! I absolutely loved Cascade Pass Trail. For sure it was one of the best hikes…read morehikes I completed during my time at North Cascades National Park. Okay...it was a relatively difficult hike but I knew this ahead of time so I was prepared. I actually afforded myself the entire day to explore so no worries for me....I simply took my time and enjoyed the views. My one and only "grrrr" moment and frustration aspect in regards to this Cascade Pass Trail was the drive to get here. Oh wow...for me, I hate driving on dirt/gravel roads...especially when I'm on vacation. Because...what happens if I have a flat tire? Who's going to rescue me? But...I was so intrigued and wanted to witness what Cascade Pass was all about that I held my breath and bravely drove the rough/bumpy/hard 13 miles along the dirt/gravel road to get here. And once I finally arrived at the parking lot....kaboom! The scenery was smack in my face. The mountains were overwhelming that before I even started hiking....I was off and taking pictures outside the parking lot! How funny. I hung out in the parking lot for a few moments simply to appreciate the mountainside being so close in view. I just knew...I anticipated good things were to come from hiking up to Cascade Pass. Now...when I started at the trailhead...it's not just Cascade Pass that you can venture off to. Even further away was Sahale Glacier which at the last moment I had heard from other hikers along the way offered even better scenery than Cascade Pass. And in fact....the hikers that I passed and or did come in contact with were all headed up and down the trail for overnight camping. Yeah that's offered with a permit. But for me...I was just here for day hiking. So...Cascade Pass Trail is a 7.4 mile round trip hike gaining about 1700 feet in elevation. I knew I'd at least be here half the day. And for those interested in exploring further....checking out Sahale Glacier was a 10.4 mile round trip hike gaining a stunning 3900 feet in elevation. Wow...that's crazy 3900 feet! Okay so Cascade Pass was good enough for me. I'd say a good portion of the first part of the hike was obviously uphill and through a lot of switchbacks up the mountain. But eventually...the forest finally parted away and then the views got serious...seriously good! I'd say about halfway up the mountain scenery turned dramatically. I was so high up and level with the shear faced cliff walls...I had to stop often to take photographs! Also, I visited on a relatively dreary/cloudy day. But actually, this was good...because along my way up the trail...I was walking parallel to the clouds...and in perspective...it sort made my photos with the clouds shifting in and out of the background quite dramatic! I appreciated having some clouds. Who would have thought? But yeah, continuing on....I can't say it enough that the dramatic background and valley views were epic! There was snow in and around various parts of the jagged terrain. Combined with the clouds continuously shifting....it made for some pretty great "wow" moments. And before too long, I made it to Cascade Pass. Yeah Cascade Pass was pretty much the pinnacle of it all. With the mountains being so up close beside me and the majestic, rugged snow-capped mountains featured in the distance....I felt quite humbled and grateful to be here and in the moment. If I had to compare the views from Cascade Pass....they reminded me of some of the best aspects along hikes at Glacier National Park. And Glacier NP is one of my favorites out there. I ate my lunch here at Cascade Pass, just soaking up the views before heading back down the mountain. I was intrigued to see what Sahale Glacier was all about but I just wasn't mentally prepared to hike an additional 4 miles along with trekking up a lot more elevation...especially when most hikers camp out for the night while at Sahale Glacier. So...I was definitely content with the views and perspectives I received at Cascade Pass. I was ready to hike back down. And on the way down...again the views were so tremendous...that I had to stop for more pictures. Actually, at that point in time most of the clouds had disappeared and I had virtually all of the Cascade Mountains within close viewing range. How cool. This hike and trail was so worthwhile. Finally when I made it back to the bottom and the parking lot in early afternoon, I bravely drove back the 13 mile gravel road into town. I then had a fulfilling dinner at a charming little quaint restaurant called Marblemount Diner. This was a terrific way to end an inspiring day exploring the wondrous mountains and scenery of Cascade Pass Trail.

Nice little waterfall in North Cascades with great views of the water…read more The water here is unlike anything I've ever seen. Super green and beautiful. We walked to the overlook, and it had a decent view of the waterfall. Much better views if you walk over to the bridge and look from the walkway there. If you want, there's also a trail that walks along the water. We didn't take it, so can't vouch for it. Overall, it's worth a quick stop to take in the surrounding beauty.

One more great spot to admire the fabulous beauty as you travel through North Cascades National…read morePark. There's plenty of parking at the trailhead, and another lot on the other side of the bridge. They have great pedestrian walks on either side of the bridge from which to admire the falls and the gorge. Once you've finished there head to the trail from the parking lot. There are fabulous viewpoints along the paved section of the trail from which to take in the crazy blue waters of the Gorge Lake below. The paved section is short (.3 mile) but very pretty and ends at the dam viewpoint. You can continue on, however, onto the unpaved path for 1/2 a mile through the trees and loop back to the lot. The unpaved section is still very easy and quite lovely...so why not loop! I found this short trail, coupled with the falls, to be a great stop. Don't miss it as you pass through!