Concrete, Washington and North Cascades National Park

Ferry Ride

Our travels from Port Angeles to Concrete Washington included taking a ferry ride from the peninsula. This was a cool experience and cheaper than I thought. Some locals on the ferry said that they have seen whales from time to time, but we did not have luck. We used the Port Townsend to Coupeville route. It was suggested to reserve your spot, which was a $10 fee online and then it was $21 when we got there. Pretty reasonable I thought. 

Lodging

Ovenell’s Heritage Inn​-This was a really nice cabin in Concrete, Washington. It was very secluded. It had nice walking paths to the river and a view of Mt. Baker in the background. The cabin itself didn’t have a lot of amenities, but it worked just fine for what we where there to do. Fresh towels and replenished soaps and coffee were brought to us daily. The only downfall is the distance from the national park. In the picture above you can see one of the cabins, how remote it is, and Mt. Baker in the background. 

Hiking

Thunder Knob
This was a really cool hike if you like hiking. If you are just going for a great view of Diablo Lake, skip it and just go to the overlook. Much better view at the overlook then at the top of Thunder Knob. We enjoyed the trail with the winding trail through the woods, a neat little stream crossing, and definitely a steady incline to the top.

Diablo Lake Overlook​-The Diablo Lake overlook is a must stop. This was the best view and you don’t have to work for it!

Trail of the Cedars and Gorge Powerhouse-Short little trails with cool suspension bridges in Newhalem. 

Maple Pass Trail-still lots of snow on the top, you can see Lake Ann down below

Maple Pass was so beautiful, even though we didn't get to do the entire loop due to too much snow on the top. We went as far as we could before it got really steep. I would love to do this hike after the snow melt to see all the wild flowers. Lake Ann is breathtaking with the mountains in the backdrop.

Rainy Lake-very easy, flat 2 mile hike that is paved. This trail veered off of the Maple Pass trail so we just combined it. It brings you to this beautiful lake with waterfalls all around it. This lake reminded us all of Avalanche Lake in Glacier National Park. 

Ross Lake Dam-This hike was straight down for the first half and then straight back up, about 3 miles total. You could get to the dam and walk all the way across the top. Ross Lake resort is across the lake also. It would be amazing to stay there, you definitely need to reserve earlier than we looked. You have to hike to this resort and take a boat ferry across, would be a fun experience. 

Whitewater Rafting

Cascadia Rafting-This was a great experience. We had a blast rafting down the Skagit River. Pretty views and some fun rapids made for a memorable experience. This was mostly class 1 and 2 rapids and a really fun class 3 section. Definitely a great starter rafting trip or if you just want to see the North Cascades from a different vantage point. Nick was our guide and he was really knowledgable about the area and keeping us safe on the raft. He allowed for us to jump into the cold river if you wanted. Not a ton of pictures, I only took my camera out when we were in the "lazy river" section.