blb3

We will be flying into Seattle on July 19, arriving at 9am and then eventually spending that night in Bellingham (prior to driving the next morning to Anacortes and taking a ferry to the San Juans). We have that day to spare to drive around, preferably making our way to the North Cascades/Mt Baker area, and would like some advice on a good route. The entire loop looks like it may be too much in one day, especially with stops, or is it doable? We are in our late 20's and not afraid of alot of driving if it is worth it, as we will not get to this area again for a long time and dont want to miss any "must sees". Interested in beautiful scenery and mountain views. It looks like we could take I-5 to 20, but i'd like to find some sort of loop so we dont have to backtrack.
Thanks!

Gardyloo

It's doable but it will be a lot of driving. I-90 east to US 97, north to SR 20, west to Burlington, I-5 to Bellingham. Figure 8 hrs of road time plus stops. One minor drawback is that every time I drive west over SR 20 it seems like the sun is in my eyes, but maybe in July it won't be so bad (10 AM leaving the airport plus lunch, stops etc. = 4 PM leaving Winthrop, so not setting-sun conditions I suppose.)

You could also go Seatac > I-405 > SR 522 > US 2 > Stevens Pass > US 97, etc. which won't be a lot faster as US 2 is not freeway (but doesn't swing as far south as I-90 before the US 97 junction, but you might want the psychological break created by zooming right from the airport up into the mountains, without an hour of suburbia in between.

Otherwise, you can certainly head up to Mt Baker as a day trip, and a very rewarding one at that. Gorgeous country, and this is an ideal time. Less driving, emptier roads. I-5 to SR 20 to SR 9 to SR 542 - very pretty drive. Return to the freeway via Sumas and Lynden, nice farming towns.

happytrailstoyou

If I understand correctly, you arrive the 19th and leave on the mornng of the 20th for the San Juans. If so, a Cascade Loop drive is not a good idea.

What is doable?

1) From SeaTac you could drive 18, 90, 97 and 2 back to I-5. This loop will take you over Snoqualmie Pass, Blewett Pass, and Stevens Pass. (I find Route 2 to be as beautiful as Route 20).

2) You could take the drive to Mt. Baker, which is worthwhile especially if Artist's Point is open. Howwever, the drive is long and it is not, in my view, as beautiful and varied as the drive outlined above.

3) From SeaTac you could drive to Mt. Rainier. I would do this only if it is clear and you can see the mountain.

4) Another option is to drive up I-5 and take the ferry from Mukilteo to Whidbey Island. On the island you could visit Langley, La Conner, and Deception Pass. From Deception Pass you could visit La Conner and then drive up Chuckanut Drive. This will take you into Fairhaven (Bellingham's Old Town).

Have fun.

blb3

Thanks for the replies-and I agree that the North Cascades will be too much, especially after a cross country flight. So i think we are going to do the Mt Baker drive and also if there is time, Chuckanut Drive. Looks like there are plenty of places to stop along the way and do small hikes and stuff with not nearly as much driving and still get to see some of the area.

happytrailstoyou

I hope you are not disppointed by the drive to Mt. Baker.

It is beautiful in the fall when leaves are changing color but, in my opinion, it is rather dull other times of year partly because there are virtually no mountain views along he way (as there are on the 1st and 4th itinerary I suggested earlier).

christy1

The view from the end of the Mt. Baker highway is stunning, but that is one of the last areas to melt out, and the trails may still be under snow.

Do you have to stay in Bellingham (which is out of the way for your San Juan trip)? If you stayed in Anacortes or even a motel along Hwy 20 in Burlington, Rockport or Marblemount, you would have time to drive the North Cascades Highway to Washington Pass and back.

happytrailstoyou

It is unfortunate that the drives to some of Washington State's major attractions are not very scenic. These include the roads to Mt. Ranier, the road to Mt. Baker, and Highway 101 to the Olympic National Park.

Some of the most scenic roads are 2 over Stevens Pass, 20 through the North Cascades and the Methow Valley, 97 through the Simcoe Mountains, 14 along the Columbia River Gorge, and 156 along the Grand Coulee.

christy1

I'd hardly call the road to Baker ugly. The valley is just fairly narrow and so you don't get many views of the mountains above (though there are a few scenic pulloffs) until you are near the end, but it's a perfectly nice drive through forests and along the river. It's not as scenic as the NC Highway, but I wouldn't discourage someone from driving it.

happytrailstoyou

Christy,

We love the drive to Artist's Point at Mt. Baker, and we do it every year.

From Seattle, we drive I-5 to Exit 212, drive Route 9 from Baker to 542, and then 542 to Mt. Baker. This is a good drive, and it is especially beautiful in the fall.

However, blb3 "will not get to this area again for a long time" and asked for a "loop" drive with "mountain views." I wrote my reply with these considerations in mind.

Happy Trails

ALF

Well, if you don't mind a lot of driving, I would put my vote in for the Interstate 405 - Interstate 90 - Route 97 - Route 20 plan. It is true that there is a lot of driving there, but I think that it is worth it, particularly because of the incredibly rapid changes in climate/vegetation on either side of the Cascades.

Although I-90 is a typical Interstate Highway, it is still quite scenic over Snoqualmie Pass, as well as the descent down the east slopes of the Cascades. The drive northward on Route 97 is also pretty, particularly the stretches along the Columbia River. The views from Route 20 are some of the best in the State, particularly around Washington Pass and the overlooks at Ross Lake and Diablo Lake.

I guess it all depends on when you are leaving the next morning for the Anacortes ferry. If you do the above trip, you could stay overnight along the way, as opposed to detouring up to Bellingham. Or, you could stay in Anacortes (nothing special, but certainly serviceable), arriving perhaps late at night, but then in the morning you would only have to drive the few miles to the ferry dock.

Mt. Baker is certainly a nice drive, as is Chuckanut, but neither compare (IMO) to driving through the Cascades.

happytrailstoyou

Touche, ALF.

blb3

happytrails-
how long will the loop you mentioned as #1 option take? (18-90-97-2-5)
That will ultimately put us in the direction we need to go to get to bellingham without backtracking, so may be doable, in addition to the mt baker drive.
Unfortunately as much as i'd love to do the cascade loop drive, i think after a cross country 6am departing flight, those hundreds of extra miles driving may be too much for us. Thanks for everyones feedback!

happytrailstoyou

The whole trip SeaTac-Bellingham is 300-325 miles, which would be 6-7 hours of driving--depending on traffic between Everett and Bellingham.

At Snoqualmie pass there is a clean restroom and a good place to get coffee or a meal.

Just beyond Cle Elm there is a rest stop that, on a clear day, offers a great view of the North Cascades.

On Route 2, the "Bavarian" town of Leavenworth is a good place to stop. On the deck at Gustav's (west end of shopping district) you can enjoy a great view while eating a hamburger or having a beer.

On Route 2 look out for the short walk to Deception Falls (on the right).

Also on Route 2, the town of Index (one mile off the highway) is quait and has good views of surrounding mountains.

In Sultan there is a very good Mexican restaurant (Ixtapa) just before the stop light. Everybody who works there is a member of the same family.

In Monroe there is an excellent Thai restaurant (Benjarong Thai) located in a strip mall on the left as you enter town.

Have fun.

PS At www.maps.yahoo.com the new format lets you work out distances from one point to another and give you cumulative distances and driving times.

suze

I think to do an 6-8 hour drive after taking a red-eye flight from the east coast (if I'm understanding correctly) is overly ambitious.

That said, the North Cascades is one of my favorite, most scenic areas outside Seattle. I love it over Mazama and Winthrop way. It's a stunning drive but 4 hours each way.

hotzim

We tried to fiit in a little of the Cascade loop back in 2003 and there is a fair amount of driving until you get to Newhalen where the good stuff starts. Better to use the time to explore Whidbey Island.

Gardyloo

The virtue of the Cascade loop (and note there are several itineraries that are called "Cascade" or "Mountain Loops") is that you get to see the stunning contrast of the west side and the east side - lush forests and alpine peaks, then the high desert and red rock scenery of the Columbia basin. You'll see less of this landscape by doing the I-90/US 2 loop than you would by going up to SR 20 and coming back via the North Cascades, but the full I-90/SR 20 loop will be a pretty long day.

Let me throw out another couple of alternates that you could consider:

1. Sea-Tac to Mt Rainier to Yakima to Seattle to Bellingham/Anacortes. The drive to Paradise on Mt. Rainier from the airport takes an hour and a half or so, and from there over White Pass US 12) to the Yakima area is scenic and you'll really get a sense of the variety of landscapes on offer. Then from Yakima back to Seattle on I-90 is a couple of hours of pretty scenic freeway driving, then up to Bellingham or Anacortes for the night. Not a lot less driving time than the big loop, but more rewarding (IMO) in scenery per hour.

2. Cascades Olympics. From the airport head to downtown Seattle, take the Bainbridge Island Ferry then the Hood Canal Bridge to Port Angeles. Up to Hurricane Ridge. Then back to PA and east to Port Townsend, ferry to Whidbey Island, north on Whidbey to Deception Pass, then into Anacortes. This route will show you the central Sound instead of the Cascades, but you'll still get your mountain/National Park fix at Hurricane Ridge. This won't involve quite as much driving as the others either.

happytrailstoyou

I forgot to mention that another attraction on the 18-90-97-2-5 route is Snoqualmie Falls, which is shortly after where 18 meets I-90.