North Cascades National Park, Washington

After a great night's rest we were ready for our next adventure as continued to explore the great state of Washington!

Our plan to get to North Cascades National Park was to head from Lynnwood, Washington, to Granite Falls and travel along the Mountain Loop Highway so that we could take in as many sights as possible.  Unfortunately, Mountain Loop Highway was closed just outside of the small town of Verlot, Washington.  Disappointed, we headed back to Granite Falls and then up to Highway 530, into the North Cascades National Park and on to Diablo Lake.  At Diablo Lake we traveled back to Anacortes, Washington, via Highway 20 and going through the small town of Concrete.

Stillaguamish River

North Cascades National Park is an American national park in the state of Washington. At more than 500,000 acres (200,000 ha), it is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the North Cascades National Park Complex. North Cascades National Park consists of a northern and southern section, bisected by the Skagit River that flows through the reservoirs of Ross Lake National Recreation Area. North Cascades National Park features the rugged mountain peaks of the North Cascades Range, the most expansive glacial system in the contiguous United States, the headwaters of numerous waterways, and vast forests with the highest degree of flora biodiversity of any American national park.

Diablo Lake is a reservoir in the North Cascade mountains of northern Washington state. Created by Diablo Dam, the lake is located between Ross Lake and Gorge Lake on the Skagit River at an elevation of 1,201 feet above sea level.

The area in and around Concrete, Washington, was the filming location for the movie, This Boy's Life, starring Leonardo DiCaprio!

Concrete, Washington

After a long day of driving but seeing many new sights and beautiful landscapes we headed to Anacortes, Washington, which would be our "home base" for the next three days as we explored the San Juan Islands!