Plan by Region
Use this page to choose the right region before opening individual guides. Cascades Field Guide is expanding beyond a single Highway 20 corridor page, so the areas below are grouped by how visitors actually plan trips: the mountain highway, the east-side Methow Valley, and eventually other nearby Cascades regions.
If you are planning your first North Cascades trip, start with the North Cascades Highway. If your trip is centered on Winthrop, Mazama, Twisp, Washington Pass, winter trails, or the east side of the mountains, start with the Methow Valley.
Choose your region
These are broad planning regions, not just map labels. Each one has different lodging bases, services, road access, seasons, and trip-planning problems.
Which region should you start with?
Start with the North Cascades Highway if...
You are driving Highway 20 for scenery, visiting Newhalem or Diablo Lake, staying in Concrete, Rockport, or Marblemount, planning short walks, looking for easy overlooks, or trying to understand where services thin out before the park corridor.
This is also the best starting point for first-time visitors who are not sure where the national park, scenic highway, gateway towns, and mountain passes fit together.
Start with the Methow Valley if...
You are staying in Winthrop, Mazama, or Twisp, planning around Washington Pass from the east side, visiting during larch season, skiing or biking in the Methow, fishing east-side lakes, or building a Cascade Loop trip.
The Methow Valley is connected to the North Cascades Highway when SR 20 is open, but it works like its own destination rather than just the far end of the drive.
