Cascade Loop: The best road trip in Washington

What is the Cascade Loop Road Trip?

The Cascade Loop is the best road trip in Washington State. This 400-mile road trip through Washington State is insanely beautiful. It’s diverse, fun, and insanely gorgeous!

Driving this loop you will see rugged mountains, beautiful lakes, wine country, a western-themed town, a bavarian village, and so much more!

You could drive this loop in any direction or start from any of the points. You can also do only part of the loop if you choose, or are short on time.

Fun Fact: Highway 20 (also called North Cascade Highway) is the ONLY road that drives through North Cascades National Park. It runs West-East. If you want to see other areas, you need to hike, or backpack in!

A Few Tips before you drive the Cascade Loop

The Cascade Loop is beautiful in the summer and fall. Keep in mind that in the winter and early spring, parts of this loop will be closed because of tremendous amounts of snow! If you are visiting Washington in the Winter, you can still complete part of the loop, but will have to return another time for the North Cascades portion.

Remember, you can start this loop at any point! I’m going to start in Sedro-Woolley. Sedro-Woolley is a great place to start this loop in a “clockwise” direction. Sedro-Woolley is about 1.5 hours from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, located just south of Seattle. Just head North on I-5. It’s the easiest place to find a hotel for the night if you need a place to stay before you begin your journey.

How long is the Cascade Loop?

The Cascade Loop is 400 miles! The best part of driving the Cascade Loop is that you don’t have to do the whole loop at once if you don’t have time. You can start and stop wherever makes the most sense to your timeline and itinerary.

5-day Cascade Loop Road Trip Itinerary

Cascade Loop Stop: Rockport

The Rockport area offers several campgrounds for overnight stays. You can check the NPS site for campground details. The only lodging in the park itself is also located in this area at the Ross Lake Resort. There is no vehicle access to the resort. You must take the Diablo Lake Ferry or park on Highway 20, hike about a mile, and then call the resort for a boat ride across the lake.

In this area, in addition to hiking, you can drive across the Diablo Lake Dam or check out the view from the overlook. You can also swim or kayak in the beautiful waters of Diablo Lake. We spent a few hours on the water, and it was AMAZING. There is also an overlook to neighboring Ross Lake, which isn’t quite as pretty as Diablo (IMO), but still worth checking out.

Cascade Loop Stop: Marblemount

Marblemount is a tiny community (think less than 500 residents). You’ll want to stop here, though, as this is the last place for services on this side of the Cascades. There is a small gas station where you can fill up your gas tank and restock your snack supply before hitting the road.

Marblemount is beautiful! It sits right on the Skagit River and has a view of the mountains and peaks that await you on your road trip. If you like to fish, kayak, or bird watch (a prime spot for bald eagles), Marblemount is an excellent spot to do this!

Driving through Marblemount is also where you can head into North Cascades National Park, and take your picture with the welcome sign! It’s the most remarkable National Park sign we’ve come across!

If you leave HWY 20 at Marblemount, you can drive about 23 more miles and get to my favorite hike of all time! Cascade Pass is a highly scenic day hike that you won’t want to miss! It’s 3.7 miles of spectacular views up the mountain into the serene alpine valley above. You can add on a few miles and take the Sahale Glacier Arm from here, too!

The road getting to the trailhead is very (VERY) rough, so it is slow going. Plan on about an hour’s drive from Marblemount to the trailhead. It’s also very popular, so get there early! I can’t stress enough how beautiful this hike is; don’t miss it!

Once you’re done hiking Cascade Pass, hop back on HWY 20 and head east toward Newhalem.

Cascade Loop Stop: Newhalem

Prepare yourself: your mind is about to be BLOWN away by the scenery that’s heading your way. Get that camera ready!!

In Newhalem, you can stop by the North Cascade National Park visitor center. Grab a map and learn about the area. There is also a great campground here if you make reservations early enough; it would be a fantastic place to spend a few nights.

There are several short, easy, interesting hikes in the Newhalem area.

• Trail of Cedars- crosses a suspension bridge and makes a short loop along a gravel path that follows the river.
• Sterling Monroe View Point gives you breathtaking views of the mountain backdrop.
• Gorge Power House overlook – an easy, paved path (with restrooms) offering a great view.

You can easily spend a few hours exploring here. When you’re ready, hop back in the car and continue heading East on Hwy 20.

Keep heading East

Cascade Loop Stop: Washington Pass

Crossing over to the Eastern side of the North Cascades, you’ll come to Mazama. The Washington Pass rest area is a must-stop area!

Even though you could spend days hiking the incredible hikes in this area, you can also stop at the rest area and be blown away by the beauty! There are numerous picnic tables where you can have your lunch. We enjoyed ours, while little birds tried to steal as much as they could. There is also an impressive area to walk around. Marvel at Liberty Bell Mountain above, or the Highway 700 feet below!

Cascade Loop Stop: Winthrop

As you leave the North Cascades, you will head into the Methow Valley. Methow Valley is a 60-mile-long glacial valley. Your first stop is the tiny town of Winthrop. Winthrop is such a fun stop! The town of Winthrop is an 1850s western-themed town with wooden sidewalks and adorable buildings. There are restaurants, shops, a bar in an old schoolhouse, and tons to do! You can stay in cabins or hotels in this area. There are also opportunities for cross-country skiing, fishing in the river, hiking, and even hot air balloon rides from Winthrop.

You can also stay in Twisp, which is just past Winthrop. It’s not quite charming but offers quiet and decent accommodations along your drive.

Cascade Loop Stop: Chelan

As you enter Chelan, you are probably ready for some rest and relaxation! You’re in luck! Chelan is the perfect spot to spend a few days relaxing. Lake Chelan is a gorgeous lake that offers over 50 miles of water activities. There are also more than 30 wineries in Chelan! You can participate in wine tours, tasting, and other fun excursions.

Cascade Loop Stop: Leavenworth

Leavenworth is one of my favorite destinations, not just on this Washington road trip, but anytime. Leavenworth is a small Bavarian-themed town that you’ll instantly fall in love with.

The town sits next to the Wenatchee River, with the Cascade Mountains forming an impressive backdrop. The alpine-style buildings add to the quaint charm of Leavenworth.

Leavenworth is worth a visit year-round. In the summer, the river is refreshing and fun. In the fall, the foliage is breathtaking, and in the winter, it’s pure magic. They host festivals such as Christmas Tree lighting, Oktoberfest, and Wine Tastings.

There are great little shops, restaurants, and bars all along Front Street, and there are numerous hotels, Bed and Breakfasts, and other accommodations available.

Stop here for sure. You’ll love it, I promise

Completing the Cascade Loop

After leaving Leavenworth, follow Hwy 2 towards Stevens Pass and Skykomish. The scenery at Stevens Pass is phenomenal throughout the year. There is a train museum in Skykomish if you are interested in trains and history. At this point, you can drive through to Seattle, or if you have more time, you can complete the loop by heading back North after Stevens Pass.

How long does it take to drive the Cascade Loop?

This is completely up to you! You can do it in as little as a few days if you’re driving through. I can promise you, you’ll want more time, though. Even if you don’t want to hike, or drink wine, or shop, just needing to stop for scenery will take more time than you think. I think 5 days is a good place to start. That gives you time to hike, explore, and relax. My recommendations would be to make your nighttime stays

• Sedro-Wooley (or in the park near Marblemount
• Winthrop or Twisp
• Chelan
• Leavenworth