Our first national park that we visited on our 30th Anniversary Road Trip Celebration was North Cascades National Park.
There are two options for lodging in-park, neither accessible by car. Ross Lake Resort requires a one mile hike down to the lake for the ferry, or an additional 2.5 mile hike around the lake. Ross Lake Resort has no restaurant on site and cabins are reserved either a year in advance at the end of your current visit, or by lottery.
The other option, our choice, was North Cascades Lodge at Stehekin. This lodge is accessible by ferry, plane or foot. The ferry is caught “down lake” in the town of Chelan and takes passengers “up lake” to the lodge and the community of Stehekin. The lake, Chelan, is beautiful and is fed by snow runoff from the Cascade Mountains.
The community of Stehekin is located in Lake Chelan National Recreation Area on the south border of N. Cascades National Park.
We stayed at the lodge two nights, and I booked a day tour on the full day we were there, which was our anniversary day. It was a fabulous experience. We were the only ones booked for the tour, and our guide, a volunteer Forest Ranger, was wonderful. The lodge and dock area are thirteen miles from the national park border. On our way up the road we visited the garden, the pastry stop and gift shop, Rainbow Falls, the orchard, the old (and new) school house, and learned much of the history in the area. There is also a ranch with horses, cabins and a cookhouse.
We also learned that the Pioneer Fire came through the area exactly one year ago, on June 8, 2024, and came so close to burning community buildings, that we were still able to see residual from the fire on one of our short hikes. Fortunately, fire fighters saved the structures.
This was my favorite experience of the trip given the unique isolation and beauty. There were no internet or cell phone services available. Residents use satellite service. However, there is one phone available for anyone to use located in the camp area where the laundry and showers are.
We arrived the the town of Chelan the night before we headed “up lake”. We left early the next morning to catch our ferry (reservations made ahead of time). We stayed the night at the same hotel the day we returned, before heading out to Mt. Rainer National Park.
Sunset across Lake Chelan in Chelan looking north towards the park:
From the front of the boat heading up-lake:
The lodge restaurant and the gift shop/store:
View from the balcony of our room:
Our room, which was quite nice. However, by the time we left there was quite a bit of dust and dirt. It was quite warm and we had a fan in the window at night, and our shoes brought in a lot of dust.
This the patio area in front of the restaurant. The food was very good, but also quite expensive. We have learned that food in the parks is not cheap, but every thing we’ve had in the parks has always been very good!
Rainbow Falls:
One of the rivers feeds into the lake:
The garden has been around for years, ran by the same gardener, providing produce in season to the community.
The old historic schoolhouse:
This is an old settlement area in the orchard. There is an old house and some other outbuildings next to a newer residence.
Looking back at the recreation area. This is a stopping point for the bus that makes a few runs up here each day to drop off and pick up hikers. It also makes a few stops along the way for visitors to get off, or to pick them up.
Me below the bridge area that heads over the water and into the national park:
Hikers on the PCT can stop here and sometimes they will go down to the lodge area for food or camping/shower/laundry. Our guide says he will greet hikers and interact with them as they pass through.
This view is from a dirt road just south of the lodge.
I love the color of the water!
We hiked along the water until we got to a part that headed down and we didn’t want to take a chance on slipping. We did not bring our waking sticks (of course).
You can see remnants of the fire below:
Park sign:
Looking north:
Sunset back down in Chelan on a walk along the lake:
peace of life today 
A beautiful part of the world to escape to Lisa 😊
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It was amazing and being cut off from the outside world was fabulous. It’s amazing how your brain works when you just get to sit and listen to nature, read a book or relax.
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That’s so true Lisa. We have many places like that in Australia where you have no signal and it is just you and God and the stillness and quiet with no noise of engines- so peaceful and usually great for birds and birding 😊
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Lovely place
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Thank you! 😊
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What a beautiful place! The accommodation looks welcoming too.
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Thank you! The accommodations were very comfortable all around! Well supplied and included a coffee maker! I was all set 😆🍵
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Those are some wonderful landscapes that make me wish I was right there. Thinking I might have to add this one to my bucket list of places to visit. 😊
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Thank you, Pepper! I highly recommend the Stehekin experience. However, I wish we had time to drive around to the upper part of the park, even though I know the scenery would have been similar. I kind of feel like we missed something, But hey, checked one more national park off my bucket list! 😊
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Hope you have a chance to go back to see what you missed. 😊
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Ah, this brought back memories! We didn’t stay at that lodge but we did do the boat ride from Chelan as a day trip, visiting Rainbow Falls too and having time for a short walk by the lake and lunch there before the return ride. It was a great day out, and at the time I wondered if we should have considered a stay at the lodge, but something else would have had to be dropped from our itinerary I guess. Still, it does look lovely, despite the dirt, and like you I’ve always felt that though not cheap accommodation and food in the national parks is worth paying for 🙂
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Thank you Sarah, and that is so fabulous that you were there! As I researched the area on line, I thought it would be fun to visit on our actual anniversary, and took it from there. The day tour actually lasted about 6 hours and included lunch (cost not included) at the bakery. And, I know what you mean about the time. It seems on every trip we take now either we see something we should have included, or someone tells us about something to see. But we only have so much time and have to keep to the schedule! 😉 Isn’t it fun to see posts from places you’ve been and see someone else’s perspective?!
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Yes, I always enjoy comparing notes with others 🙂
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What a fabulous place to stay and explore Lisa, the natural beauty is breathtaking! 🩵💚
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Thank you so much! It was so peaceful without any cell phone, social media or TV distracting us!
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Such a pretty place! The color of the lake is gorgeous! Our kids were just there. They saw a Momma Black Bear and her cubs on one of the hiking trails.
Such a beautiful anniversary getaway! Happy Anniversary!
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Thank you! And wow! We saw a deer, but no bears. We did see a young bear cross the road in front of us at Crater Lake, and we thought that was exciting 😊. …yeah I took like a hundred pictures of the water! 🤣
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I would have too! That water was turquoise! 🩵
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What a beautiful journey and a wonderful way to commemorate an anniversary! We do similar anniversary trips. I haven’t made it to the cascades yet, we’ll have to go!
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What a beautiful journey and a lovely way to commemorate an anniversary! We do anniversary trips too. I haven’t made it to the cascades yet, but we’ll have to!
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Thank you, Roselynn! We won’t forget this anniversary! 😊
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These pictures are really beautiful, and it’s easy to see why you enjoyed the area so much.
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Thank you! 😊
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Amazing pictures! 😊
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Thank you so much!! 😊
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