The amazing power of these falls... just be sure to stay on the trail and don't be a stupid human…read moretrying to get the ultimate selfie that'll cost you your life!!! Observe and respect Mother Nature! just gorgeous

Nooksack Falls truly took my breath away. The drive there alone on Mount Baker Highway was…read moreexquisite. What is so mind blowing about a waterfall? Everything. I believe you feel a sense of peace in the presence of one. The sound of the powerful water, the mist surrounding, and the wet air is quite the moment.

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.

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.

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.

A Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass is required. Day passes are available near…read morethe bathrooms. This hiking area is heavily populated with rangers so do yourself a favor and purchase the day pass if needed. The parking lot has about 160 spaces and every single space was taken by the time we completed our hike. This is area draws large crowds. There are several trail-heads that can be accessed from this parking area. The views are amazing! This hike can be anywhere from 4 miles to 9 miles round-trip. The choice is yours to decide how far to hike. Ptarmigan Ridge is considered "intermediate." As always, listen to your body and know your own limitations. The terrain is rocky and narrow at times. Due to the high altitude, expect snow no matter what the season. There is minimal shade on this hike so be sure to wear a hat and sunscreen. If you have hiking poles, it's a good idea to pack them. Poles come in handy when crossing large patches of snow. Pack plenty of water! This whole hike is above-timberline. Lots of alpine trees, meadows, snow patches and wildflowers. During the day of our hike many people witnessed mountain goats in the meadows. Unfortunately, we did not spot a single mountain goat. Bummer! Overall, if you have time for only one hike in the Mount Baker area, make it this one. The views are incredible, the hike is achievable, and the wildflower medley is stunning. As always, if you pack it in, be sure to pack it out.

With sweeping views and wonderful vistas, everyone should try this trail. I have lead those from…read morethe city (who were not the hiking types) and the trail is easy enough for about a mile/mile and a half to soak up the views and get a taste of what this area has to offer. You will still need solid walking shoes as the trail is covered in gravel and rocks with a large portion of the trail extending from a slope. The best time to visit is in August through early October, but preferably August since the snow will be completely gone from the trails and the days will be warm and sunny. You may see Pikas, largish rodents that live in the hills. You can hear them chirping and they are cute little suckers. Bears have been spotted in the early season, since they are waking up from their winter slumber. I have camped overnight on this trail during this time and you are required to keep food up and away from your tent site. But I have never had issues in the past years that I have camped here.

This review is for Cascade Pass Trail which was a ~6.9 miles round trip that took ~4 hours to…read morecomplete. This was the shortest trail available on AllTrails within the North Cascades National Park, Washington. With that being said, the trail felt long with a ~2.5 mile steady forest incline alongside the mountain. Trail was mostly a narrow rocky dirt path. The views were stunning once the trail opens up out of the forest! Large parking area at the trailhead with additional parking on the side of dirt road. Restroom available at the parking lot. The last ~12 miles were mostly unpaved road with a few potholes near the end. The North Cascades NP Wilderness Info Center was the closest visitor center with magnets, located ~1 hour from the trailhead. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/t6P9xpmFA64

Amazing, breathtaking, incredible - words cannot describe the beauty of the PNW…read more How lucky are we that we get to live in a world with such wonders? Pictures are from the Maple Pass Loop during larch season :)

The lava beds are found under ground. There is a wooden stair case to enter. The cave is small but…read morewonderful. It's not much of a hike either, you park and walk a few steps and your there. Bring a sweater, flashlight and hard hat.

There is really no such thing as Lake Ann Trail from my POV. There is a pathway that leads to Lake…read moreAnn, but if your sole intention is hiking to Lake Ann, you're doing yourself a disservice. Lake Ann is mediocre. It's an average looking lake with no redeeming qualities. Let me explain what the trail to Lake Ann is really about... It's part of the much bigger MAPLE PASS TRAIL. Yes, Maple Pass is what you want!!! It's a showstopper! All Lake Ann offers is a little side-trek walk to an alpine bowl shoreline. But Maple Pass is an outstanding 7.5 mile loop trail going high above, over and around Lake Ann for stunning panoramic vista point perspectives of the Rainy Lake section of North Cascades National Park. Although there are so many wonderful hiking trails at North Cascades, I highly suggest including Maple Pass as part of your itinerary. Only heading to the "toe" of Lake Ann won't provide a successful journey or wining feeling in any sort of memorable way. Lol, if I haven't reiterated it enough, Maple Pass is the real hero trail! Let me back up just one moment... This Lake Ann - Maple Pass Trail is located in the Rainy Lake Picnic Area of the park. Be aware of this. It's not to be confused with the other side of Highway 20 and the Rainy Lake Trails side. The Picnic Area is what you want! I stopped on by around 1:30pm back over peak summertime visitation season and the Rainy Lake Picnic Area parking lot was completely full. I had to park along the shoulder of Highway 20 and walk 5 minutes to the trailhead. A lot of people were parked on Highway 20 which offers enough spacing between your car and passing traffic to feel safe. Although it's free to visit North Cascades National Park, it's a $5 fee to hike at the Rainy Lake Picnic Area. I'd suggest to be prepared with a $5 bill and or check (with a pen) to pay at the self-service station. I don't believe they accepted credit cards from what I can recall. Btw, if you are curious as to what Rainy Lake actually looks like, if you veer left from the trailhead, it's a casual 0.9 mile walk (each way) along flat ground. But Rainy Lake is nothing special either. Just like Lake Ann, I'd skip Rainy Lake. Start the hike to Maple Pass because it could take half the day, especially if you spend time at the summit admiring the sweeping views. And if you are curious as to what Lake Ann may look like, you'll find the side path for it right before the elevated climb beginning up towards Maple Pass. Overall, I'd rate Maple Pass as strenuous, but if you manage your time well and stop for photos, you'll be handsomely rewarded with dramatic sights looking down upon Lake Ann and even be eye level with the rugged peaks of the North Cascades Mountain Range! Trekking higher on Maple Pass...Heather Pass is about 3/4ths of the way up the mountain. And it's here at Heather Pass where the scenery starts to thrill. Eventually the entire 360 degree landscape opens up with unlimited opportunities to bask in the glow of nature. At this point, Lake Ann will look like a little blip on the radar in the context of how high up the mountainside you are. It's at the height of the hike and coming upon Maple Pass where I felt contentment knowing all the hard work and grinding uphill was worth it. Finally, the descent back down the mountainside starts with an immediate set of switchbacks among a gorgeous cliffside backdrop before reentering below the tree-line horizon again. This back-half section finishing the total loop will add an extra 90 or so minutes making the entire Maple Pass Trail 5 hours long (including briefly stopping at Lake Ann), which is more than manageable for any moderately motivated hiker. Overall, North Cascades is one of the most underappreciated national parks in the USA and there's an abundance of amazing hikes here that barely get any sort of recognition. Although Lake Ann doesn't stand out whatsoever, it's Maple Pass Trail climbing above the bowl that Lake Ann's situated in that's the ultimate prize for the difficult endeavor.

First, the bad news: this trail is uphill both-ways…read more Sure, you'll feel cool hiking in. "Wow, this is easy", you'll exclaim. It's easy because you're losing 500 ft of gain, right off the bat. You're gonna have to go back up on the way out! Anyway, it's a great trail. It can have lots of downed trees on it early season and it can take a while to melt out so, DO YOUR RESEARCH! Some years there's snow on the trail well into August! The trail ends at Lake Ann. It's a gorgeous area. Only climbers should start to venture out of the Lake Ann area and towards the mountain. #safetyfirst

We were up there about a month and the water is gorgeous. The drive to Diablo lake is also really…read morepretty. Great spot.

Diablo Lake is undoubtedly stunning. It's most notable feature is its gorgeous turquoise color,…read morecaused by the reflection of "rock flour". We saw the lake in its full glory both on a sunny and cloudy day - and it is spectacular in any weather. We accessed the lake in two ways - once directly to the lake via campground, and then the second time (drove around it) to the vista point where you can get a full view. Enjoy!

In 1956, Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810 crashed on Mount Slesse, located in Chilliwack, killing…read moreall 62 people aboard. I had never heard about this crash, one of the worst aviation disasters, or of Mount Slesse, until my friend invited me to go hiking on the Slesse Memorial Trail with a Meetup group yesterday. I'm not a novice hiker -- I have gone on my fair share of hikes over the years and have done a few this summer -- but I am definitely not an expert hiker; the majority of the hikes I have done are three to four hours, with the longest being around six hours. Reading the description of the hike, I knew it would be a challenge, and I was a little nervous that it would be above my skill level, but I decided to give it a try. While there were about 20 people in the Meetup group all together, we hiked in small groups, and I hiked with my friend in a group of six. Unfortunately we got off to a late start for various reasons, including hiking up a very rocky and difficult path for about 20 minutes before we realized we took the wrong path and were walking up an ATV/access road, and not actually hiking along the trail, which took up about 45 minutes of our time. By the time we started hiking the Slesse Memorial Trail, it was 12:15pm. The initial half an hour or so of the trail was fairly easy, especially compared to walking up that rocky path, but the trail gradually became more and more challenging, and I would definitely rate it as "difficult". There were lots of roots, rocks, and logs to scramble over, as well as a small rock face we had to climb up. The trail was quite narrow at many points (sometimes with a steep drop on one side -- don't attempt this hike if you're afraid of heights!), as well as muddy. While I enjoy a challenge, it was beyond my skill level, and there were a couple of points at which I was debating whether or not to stop and wait for the group to pick me up on the way back (I had a book to read, so I would have been fine waiting for a few hours). However, I continued on, but when we got to about 90% of the way up, I had to give up -- my left knee was throbbing, the terrain was just too difficult for me, and I was afraid that I would seriously injure myself -- the last 10% was known to be even more challenging than what we had already experienced, and I did not feel confident that I would be able to climb back down (assuming I was even able to climb up in the first place). So I left my group and joined another Meetup member for my slow, three hour descent down. (It should not have taken that long to get back to the beginning of the trail head, but my knees were killing me -- I managed to whack my right knee against a log), and my legs were utterly fatigued. I was so slow that two minutes after I got to the bottom, my group, who had continued to the top, where they had spent about 20 minutes, arrived. While it was disappointing that I had to turn back when I was so close to the top (where there is a piece of the propeller from the crash, "the Propeller Cairn"), it was the right call to make due to the challenging terrain, and I would have slowed down the group so much that we would have been hiking back in the dark. Including the 45 minute hike up the rocky trail, we had hiked from 11:30am to 7pm, for a total of 7.5 hours. Despite not being able to complete the hike, I still managed to get some great exercise and take in some amazing views. [Yelp collections: Hiking]