This post contains descriptions of our picks for the 3 best family hikes in North Cascades National Park.
The North Cascades are often called the American Alps, and for good reason! North Cascades National Park is a beautiful park and the mountains here are the most beautiful I’ve seen in all of our National Park travels. Many of the trails were still closed when we visited this park in July, so we will include in this list all of the hikes we did and our take on each of them, since we weren’t able to do as many hikes in North Cascades as we did in the other ones. Don’t miss our complete itinerary for North Cascades National Park in this post.
Best Family Hikes in North Cascades National Park
Cascade Pass Trail (7 miles, roundtrip; 1800 ft. elevation gain)
Cascade Pass Trail was definitely the highlight of our hikes in the North Cascades as well as our longest and most challenging hike. The road to the trailhead had opened up only a few weeks before we came, so we were fortunate to be able to even do this hike. The drive to the trailhead is worth it even if you decide not to do the hike. The mountains and scenery surrounding the trailhead parking lot are gorgeous.
There are pit toilets available in the parking lot at the trailhead but no others along the trail (unless you count a pail and shovel under a large evergreen tree, which I do not). The parking lot did end up filling up (but there is overflow just down the road) and there is also a picnic area at the trailhead where you can count waterfalls and listen to the glaciers calving (breaking apart).
I LOVED this hike so much, there is beautiful scenery at every turn and it was my favorite hike in all of the National Parks that we visited in Washington. The first 2 miles of the trail have a LOT of switchbacks (around 35).
Part of what made it special was the intimacy of nature all around us and that put this high up in the company of our favorite hikes – Avalanche Lake in Glacier, Mount Fremont Lookout in Mount Rainier, Delicate Arch in Arches, Mist Trail in Yosemite, and Tokopah Falls in Sequoia.
There was a good amount of snow we crossed once we passed the switchbacks. The trail is also constantly crossing snowmelt fed streams, so waterproof/water-resistant hiking shoes are essential for this hike.
We’d also suggest hiking poles, bug spray, and sunscreen since the last part of the trail is above and out of tree cover. Once we reached Cascade Pass we sat and ate the lunch we had brought along and enjoyed the beautiful view, as did many other hikers on the trail. There are a lot of rocks and logs to sit on as well as the backcountry pit toilet I mentioned earlier (ha!).
It seemed to be a popular resting spot for those going on to Sahale Arm. We definitely recommend this hike if you are up for it!
Thunder Knob Trail (3.6 miles, roundtrip; 635 ft. elevation gain)
On each trip there are things we do that we end up not feeling like they measure up or are the best use of time. The Thunder Knob hike was that thing this time… While the surroundings are beautiful, the disappointment came because the “wow” view at the end can basically be seen from your car or the pullouts.
It was still one of our 3 best family hikes in North Cascades, however, because of this viewpoint:
In retrospect, we wish we had done a different hike but we were limited because some of the other hikes we wanted to do were still snowed in and, therefore, not an option. If you are not camping at Colonial Creek Campground, there is a parking area along the main road to park for the hike. You will walk into the campground and find the trailhead there. The best part of this hike, in my opinion, was crossing and walking along a bit of Colonial Creek which is right at the beginning of the hike.
Rainy Lake Trail (2.0 miles, roundtrip; 70 ft. elevation gain)
This was a nice, easy hike. It is wheelchair/stroller accessible and a great place to stretch your legs. There are a couple of small streams and waterfalls along the trail on the way to the lake and the view at the end of the hike does not disappoint.
When we hiked this trail, we were the only ones on it, so it was very peaceful. Rainy Lake is a beautiful reward at the end of the trail. A great hike for stretching yours legs after a long car ride. I would definitely do this hike if you’re planning a trip to the North Cascades with kids.
For more Washington National Parks info, check out our posts on Mount Rainier short family hikes, Olympic National Park best (and worst) short family hikes, or our complete itinerary for North Cascades National Park. We hope you enjoy the park and our 3 best family hikes in North Cascades National Park!
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