Getting Oriented

Getting Oriented

The park rises upward from the massive Cascade ranges seen northeast of Seattle, widening in a swath of snow-covered peaks all the way to the Canadian border. The broad Skagit River and many large creeks cut through the valleys; most end in the long arm of Lake Chelan in the south or in the snakelike expanse of Ross Lake at the park's northern edge. Picturesque 19th-century settlements are tucked into the folds of the slopes, notably Stehekin and Winthrop to the east, Chelan to the south, and Marblemount and Sedro-Woolley, west of the park along Highway 20. Even in summer, valleys can start the day shrouded in fog; it's best to drive the highway west-to-east during the afternoon. A morning start is a good choice coming the other way. The most sensational scenery, however, is reached by hiking to one of the high park passes or mountain lookouts.