North Cascades Highway

Route description

From Seattle, head north on I-5 to Burlington, then east on WA-20 up the Skagit Valley, where the farmland narrows into a forested canyon. Past Newhalem, the Diablo Lake Overlook looks down on a reservoir turned bright milky turquoise by glacial flour, with the North Cascades peaks above.

The highway climbs over Rainy Pass and Washington Pass among granite spires, then drops into the drier Methow Valley to Winthrop, a small town with Western-style storefronts and boardwalks. There is no fuel for a long way east of Marblemount, so fill up before the climb, and note that the pass section is closed in winter, usually from November until spring.

From Winthrop, head south along the Methow and Columbia rivers to Wenatchee, then west on US-2 to Leavenworth, a village rebuilt in Bavarian style below the Cascades. Returning to Seattle on US-2 over Stevens Pass closes the loop.