4 days in Washington's North Cascades: Our TOP hikes & sights!

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Welcome to the North Cascades! Nicknamed the American Alps, here you can find dramatic, rugged peaks, pristine lakes, hundreds of glaciers, waterfalls, tons of wildlife, and sweeping alpine landscapes. It's hands down one of our favorite places, not only just in Washington, but in the entire United States. 😍

Over four days, we explored along the North Cascades Highway, checking out the epic hikes and sights in both North Cascades National Park and the nearby National Forest, plus some delicious local eats!

📅 This video was filmed in mid August 2026
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⌚Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:35 How this area is structured
01:18 Cascade Pass to Sahale Arm
05:58 Our first campsite of the trip
06:53 Thunder Knob Trail
08:24 Paddling on Diablo Lake
10:39 Trail of the Cedars to Ladder Creek Falls
12:14 We saw a bear!
13:01 Maple Pass Loop
15:46 Rainy Lake Trail
16:58 Washington Pass
17:58 A change of plans…
19:45 Trying the famous Mazama Store baguette
21:57 Blue Lake Trail
24:28 The BEST post North Cascades meal at Birdsview Diner

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👋🏼 About us
Hi y’all! We’re Adam, Kathryn, and Kona, an adventurous married couple (+ pup!) living on the road in our self-converted sprinter van! You can often find us driving all around the US and Canada, scoping out the best coffee shops, eating tacos and ice cream (we're a 5+ taco and 2+ scoop household), and enjoying nature.

We help travelers spend less time (and stress!) planning their trip and more time enjoying it! Our detailed travel guides, YouTube videos, and travel resources share the must-visit local eats, popular and off the beaten path sights, and tons of tips to make planning your next adventure a whole lot easier.

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