North Cascades Hwy.

check the opening date.
I used to drive over it all the time. Great place to view NW forests and the effects of glaciation. We had a reallly dry winter back in around 1974. I drove over the North Cascades Highway at night in Feb in a 2wd VW bug. We passed 2 other cars in several hours.

ppine wrote:
check the opening date.
I used to drive over it all the time. Great place to view NW forests and the effects of glaciation. We had a reallly dry winter back in around 1974. I drove over the North Cascades Highway at night in Feb in a 2wd VW bug. We passed 2 other cars in several hours.

The Highway opened 2 weeks ago. But many of the pull outs may not be cleared. Camping between Mazama and Newhalem is non existent except for 1 camp ground at Lake Diablo. (colonial Creek)
There are trail head parking at several places that you can dry camp over night, and there is a dry camp above Mazama called Early winters, but no services. After Newhalem there are several.

I stayed at a GREAT family owned campground in Winthrop, called Pine Near RV Park right next door to Shafer Museum (which is pretty cool). You need to make Winthrop a stop - it's an old west town motif.

Pine Near RV park looks good. Think we will spend a couple of nights there for sure. Now to find a some other places to stay for a few nights maybe on a lake or river.

The North Cascades are fun to look at, but for camping and hanging around I would head for the Methow Valley. It dries out a lot by Early Winters. You can make some day trips to Rainy Pass, Slate Peak and Hart Pass and come back to a warm and dry camp site.

There is dry camping around baker lake and the shadow of the sentinels trail is nice quick stop.

If you can get a resi, Rasar state CG is incredibly nice. It's near Concrete Wa.
I recommend a stop at Rockport state park and take a stroll through the huge old growth forest.

I have traveled across WA20 twice in the last several years. Check out my "660 sites" map in signature for some suggestions. No commercial ones. Great hwy to travel. I loved it! Have fun.

When west bound, after you crest the summit, don't allow your RV to get too fast. there is a 5 mile 5% grade coming off the pass, then a short climb into Rainey pass then 7 miles of 4 % off Rainey.

When east bound, it's one long down grade off the pass, it's 6% for about 2 miles, then a sweeping switch back, then its 7-8 miles of 6% into early winters. then it is over really nice ride from there into Winthrop.

Just remember there is 87 miles of no services between Mazama and Marble Mount. don't leave either with out a full tank.

West bound we usually fuel up at Twisp.(when needed) and west bound we fuel up at the reservation on 20 east of Anacorties. and again in South Dakota :)

It's a solid 5 hour drive Burlington to Okanogan.

S Davis wrote:
There is dry camping around baker lake and the shadow of the sentinels trail is nice quick stop.

One of our favorite day trips.