Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and they comprise a fascinating
ecosystem—living plants stake out
almost every square inch of space,
from towering Sitka spruce trees
to mosses and lush ferns. The park
also preserves miles of pristine,
fog-shrouded beaches and beauti-
ful alpine and subalpine scenery
dotted with lush meadows. See
chapter 7.
The North Cascades National
Park Complex: Actually com-
prised of one national park and
two national recreation areas, this
remote and rugged region is
among the least explored in the
state. Most visitors view the park
from the North Cascades Scenic
Highway, from which there are
stupendous views on clear days,
but which is closed by snow for
nearly half the year. See “Mount
Baker & the North Cascades
Scenic Highway” in chapter 9.
Mount Rainier National Park:
With its glaciers and easily accessi-
ble alpine meadows, Mount
Rainier is Washington's favorite
mountain. Sunrise and Paradise
are the two best vantage points for
viewing the massive bulk of
Mount Rainier, and in these two
areas of the park, you'll also find
some of the best hiking trails. See
“Mount Rainier National Park &
Environs” in chapter 9.
Mount St. Helens National Vol-
canic Monument: Mount St.
Helens is slowly recovering from
the 1980 volcanic blast that
turned one of the Cascades' most
beautiful peaks into a scarred
landscape of fallen trees and fields
of ash. Several visitor centers relate
the events of the eruption and
what has been happening on the
mountain since. See “Mount St.
Helens National Volcanic Monu-
ment” in chapter 9.
Columbia Gorge National
Scenic Area: Carved by ice-age
floods that were as much as 1,200
feet deep, the Columbia Gorge is
a unique feature of the Northwest
landscape. Waterfalls by the dozen
cascade from the basalt cliffs on
the Oregon side of the Gorge, but
the best wide-angle views are from
the Washington side, where you'll
also find one of the largest mono-
liths in the world. See “The
Columbia Gorge & the Mount
Adams Area” in chapter 9.
2 The Best Outdoor Activities
Sea Kayaking in the San Juan
Islands: Emerald islands, clear
water, orca whales, bald eagles,
and remote campsites that can
only be reached by boat lure sea
kayakers to the San Juan Islands.
You can paddle the islands on
your own (if you're experienced)
or go out with a guide for a few
hours or a few days. See “The San
Juan Islands” in chapter 5.
Hiking the Olympic Coast:
Within the contiguous United
States, there are very few miles of
wilderness coastline left. Among
the longest, and most spectacular,
are those of Olympic National
Park along the west side of the
Olympic Peninsula. Whether you
just want to do a good daylong
hike, or spend several days back-
packing along the beach, you've
got several options along this
coast. See chapter 7.
Cross-Country Skiing in the
Methow Valley: This valley on the
east side of Washington's North
Cascades has more than 100 miles
of immaculately groomed trails,
making it one of the premier
cross-country ski destinations in
the country. Skiers can ski from
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