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North Cascades National Park is a U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 National Park
National Park Service

The National Park Service is the List of United States federal agencies that manages all List of areas in the United States National Park System, many U.S....
 located in the state of Washington
Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
.

The park complex consists of 684,000 acres (1,069 sq mi) of the Cascade Range
Cascade Range

The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California....
 in four separate, yet adjoined, units: North Cascades National Park North Unit, North Cascades National Park South Unit, the Ross Lake
Ross Lake National Recreation Area

Ross Lake National Recreation Area is a US National Recreation Area located in north central Washington just south of the U.S.-Canada border. It is the most accessible part of the North Cascades National Park which also includes North Cascades National Park and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area....
 and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
Lake Chelan National Recreation Area

Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area located about 35 miles south of the U.S.-Canada border in Chelan County, Washington, Washington....
s which are managed together with the park. Several national wilderness areas and British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
 parkland also adjoin the National Park.






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North Cascades National Park is a U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 National Park
National Park Service

The National Park Service is the List of United States federal agencies that manages all List of areas in the United States National Park System, many U.S....
 located in the state of Washington
Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
.

The park complex consists of 684,000 acres (1,069 sq mi) of the Cascade Range
Cascade Range

The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California....
 in four separate, yet adjoined, units: North Cascades National Park North Unit, North Cascades National Park South Unit, the Ross Lake
Ross Lake National Recreation Area

Ross Lake National Recreation Area is a US National Recreation Area located in north central Washington just south of the U.S.-Canada border. It is the most accessible part of the North Cascades National Park which also includes North Cascades National Park and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area....
 and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
Lake Chelan National Recreation Area

Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area located about 35 miles south of the U.S.-Canada border in Chelan County, Washington, Washington....
s which are managed together with the park. Several national wilderness areas and British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
 parkland also adjoin the National Park. The park features rugged mountain
Mountain

A mountain is a landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill....
 peaks. Approximately 93 percent of the park was designated as wilderness
Wilderness

Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet - those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with roads, pipelines or other industrial i...
 in the Washington Parks Wilderness Act of 1988, which also set aside wilderness areas in Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County, Washington and northeast Lewis County, Washington in Washington state....
 and Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the Olympic Peninsula. The park can be divided into three basic regions: the Pacific Ocean coastline, the Olympic Mountains, and the temperate rainforest....
.

Natural history


Glaciers

, the park had 318 glaciers with an area of 117 kmē (Post et al., 1971), the most of any US park outside Alaska. All the glaciers in the park have retreated significantly from 1980-2005 and the rate is increasing. The recent warmer climate has led to more summer melting and more winter melting events, reducing winter snowpack. Several glaciers in the range have melted away in the last decade. Boston Glacier, on the north slope of Boston Peak, is the largest glacier in the park with an area of 7 kmē. The other large glaciers (with areas greater than 2.5 kmē) are:
  • Redoubt (Mount Redoubt)
  • Nooksack (Mount Shuksan
    Mount Shuksan

    Mount Shuksan is a glacier peak in the North Cascades National Park of the United States. Shuksan lies in Whatcom County, Washington, immediately to the east of Mount Baker, just south of Canada....
    )
  • Sulphide (Mount Shuksan)
  • Challenger (Mount Challenger)
  • Inspiration (Eldorado Peak)
  • McAllister (Eldorado Peak)
  • Neve (Snowfield Peak)


Wildlife

This park is noted for its wildlife. Due to its wilderness
Wilderness

Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet - those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with roads, pipelines or other industrial i...
 nature, it is home to wolves, grizzlies
Brown Bear

The Brown Bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It weighs 100 to 700 kg and its larger populations such as the Kodiak bear match the Polar bear as the largest extant land predator....
, lynx
Canada Lynx

The Canadian Lynx is a North American mammal of the cat family, Felidae. It is a close relative of the Eurasian lynx . Some authorities regard both as conspecificity....
, moose
Moose

File:Alces alces NA.svgThe moose or elk , , is the largest Extant taxon species in the deer family . Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a "twig-like" configuration....
, wolverine
Wolverine

The wolverine is the largest land-dwelling species of the Mustelidae or weasel family in the genus Gulo . It is also called the Glutton or Carcajou....
s, and many other rare and/or endangered species.

Plants

Extreme variation, in rock and soil types, exposure, slope, elevation, and rainfall is reflected in the diverse plant life here. Eight distinctive life zones support thousands of different plant species in the North Cascades greater ecosystem
Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical factors of the environment....
. No other US National Park surpasses North Cascades National Park in the number of plant species recorded. Over 1,630 vascular plant
Vascular plant

Vascular plants are those plants that have lignin tissue for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products through the plant. Vascular plants include the ferns, clubmosses, flowering plants, conifers and other gymnosperms....
 species have been identified, and estimates of non-vascular and fungal
Fungus

A fungus is a Eukaryote organism that is a member of the Kingdom Fungi . The fungi are a monophyletic group, also called the Eumycota , that is phylogeny distinct from the morphologically similar slime molds and water molds ....
 species could more than double this number for total plant species in the North Cascades.. The park contains an estimated of old-growth forests.

Attractions

Nearly all of the national park is protected as the Stephen Mather
Stephen Tyng Mather

Stephen Tyng Mather was a pioneering United States industrialist and conservationist. He was the president and owner of the Thorkildsen-Mather Borax Company, which made him a millionaire....
 Wilderness, so there are few maintained buildings and roads within the North and South units of the Park. The park is most popular with backpackers
Backpacking (wilderness)

Backpacking combines hiking and Camping in a single trip. A backpacker hikes into the backcountry to spend one or more nights there, and carries supplies and equipment to satisfy sleeping and eating needs....
 and mountain climbers. One of the most popular destinations in the park is Cascade Pass
Cascade Pass

Cascade Pass is a mountain pass over the northern Cascade Range, east of Marblemount, Washington, U.S.Although an important pass, providing the easiest connection from the Cascade River to the head of Lake Chelan, it is now part of the North Cascades National Park, and crossed by only a hiking trail....
, which was used as a travel route by Native Americans. It can be accessed by a four-mile (6 km) trail at the end of a gravel road. The North and South Picket Range
Picket Range

The Picket Range is a small, extremely rugged subrange of the North Cascades in the northwestern part of the United States state of Washington....
s, as well as Eldorado Peak and the surrounding mountains, are popular with climbers due to glaciation and technical rock. Mount Shuksan
Mount Shuksan

Mount Shuksan is a glacier peak in the North Cascades National Park of the United States. Shuksan lies in Whatcom County, Washington, immediately to the east of Mount Baker, just south of Canada....
, in the northwest corner of the park, is one of the most photographed mountains in the country and the second highest peak in the park .

Another interesting way to experience the park is by boat up Lake Chelan
Lake Chelan

Lake Chelan is a narrow, 50-mile-long lake in Chelan County, Washington, northern Washington state, United States The name Chelan is a Salish Indian word Tsi - Laan, meaning deep water....
 to Stehekin
Stehekin, Washington

Stehekin is a small unincorporated area community in Chelan County, Washington, Washington. It is part of Wenatchee, Washington–East Wenatchee, Washington Wenatchee metropolitan area....
. Boating, including canoe
Canoe

A canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes usually are pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be covered....
ing and kayaking, as well as fishing
Fishing

Fishing is the activity of catching fish. Fishing techniques include Fish net, Fish trap, Spearfishing, angling and Gathering seafood by hand. The term fishing may be applied to catching other aquatic animals such as different types of shellfish, squid, octopus, turtles, Edible frog and some edible marine invertebrates....
 and backcountry camping
Camping

Camping is an outdoor recreational activity.The participants, known as campers, get away from urban areas, their home region or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or more nights, usually at a campsite....
 are popular on Ross Lake
Ross Lake

Ross Lake is a large reservoir in the North Cascades mountains of northern Washington state, United States, and southwestern British Columbia, Canada....
.

Access

Although one gravel road open to the public enters the park, most automobile traffic in the region travels on the North Cascades Highway (Washington State Route 20), which passes through the Ross Lake National Recreation Area
Ross Lake National Recreation Area

Ross Lake National Recreation Area is a US National Recreation Area located in north central Washington just south of the U.S.-Canada border. It is the most accessible part of the North Cascades National Park which also includes North Cascades National Park and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area....
. The nearest large town on the west side of the park is Sedro-Woolley, Washington
Sedro-Woolley, Washington

Sedro-Woolley is a city in Skagit County, Washington, Washington, United States. According to the Washington State Office of Financial Management The 2008 population was 10,030....
, while Winthrop
Winthrop, Washington

Winthrop is a town in Okanogan County, Washington, Washington, United States. It is east of Mazama, Washington and north of Twisp, Washington. The population was 349 at the 2000 United States Census....
 lies to the east. Chelan
Chelan, Washington

Chelan is a city in Chelan County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 3,522 at the 2000 United States Census. It sits on the southeast tip of Lake Chelan, where the lake flows into the Chelan River....
 is located at the southeastern end of Lake Chelan.

See also

  • Skagit Valley Provincial Park
    Skagit Valley Provincial Park

    Skagit Valley Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, centered on the Skagit River and its tributaries. The park borders E....
  • Mount Baker Wilderness
    Mount Baker Wilderness

    Mount Baker Wilderness in northern Washington, USA,contains . Its eastern border is shared with the boundary of the North Cascades National Park for a distance of 40 miles ....
  • Pasayten Wilderness
    Pasayten Wilderness

    Pasayten Wilderness is a 2145 km?. protected area located within Okanogan National Forest in Washington State, centered on the watershed of the upper Pasayten River, a tributary of the Similkameen River....
  • Glacier Peak Wilderness
    Glacier Peak Wilderness

    The Glacier Peak Wilderness, created by United States Congress in the original Wilderness Act, is located within portions of Chelan County, Washington, Snohomish County, Washington, and Skagit County, Washington in the North Cascades of Washington....
  • Retreat of glaciers since 1850
    Retreat of glaciers since 1850

    The retreat of glaciers since 1850, worldwide and rapid, affects the availability of fresh water for irrigation and domestic use, mountain recreation, animals and plants that depend on glacier-melt, and in the longer term, the level of the oceans....
  • North Cascades
    North Cascades

    The North Cascades are a section of the Cascades of western North America. They span the border between the Canada Provinces of Canada of British Columbia and the US States of the USA of Washington....


External links

  • Official site:
  • Education:
  • Glacier Research: