Our favorite time of year to visit the North Cascades is the fall. The region is located in the northwest section of Washington. Snow has melted off of the higher slopes by mid-August and new snow has not yet begun to fall. The leaves begin turning color around mid-September with stunning reds, yellows and oranges. The days are frequently sunny and clear offering panoramic views from high locations.
Fall color in the North Cascades
Pumpkins herald in the fall
We have stayed at the Concrete/Grandy KOA campground during our trips here. It is located near Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area and the Okanogan National Forest. These areas offer hiking, backpacking, access to water recreation including fishing, and spectacular scenery for landscape and nature photography. We love day hiking the North Cascades as a way to really get out and see the fall colors.
View from Highway 20
North Cascades Mountains
In Concrete, there is a decent sized Red Apple Grocery store. There are also several restaurants including Cascades Burger and a pizza joint co-located with the grocery store. Directly across Highway 20 from the turnoff for the KOA is another burger/breakfast joint called Birdseye Burger. We have tried all three of these during our trips here and they were all good. There are also restaurants in Marblemount. There are other campground and lodging options in the region.
View from behind the North Cascades National Parks Visitor Center trail
Along Highway 20 near Concrete, a herd of Roosevelt Elk resides and is often easily viewed during the fall rut. The herd usually has some nice sized bulls. The best time to find and view them is early evening.
A bull Roosevelt Elk
A bull with some of his harem
We like this region as it is usually fairly quiet, relaxing and not brimming with too many other tourists, especially in the fall. A drive on Highway 20 provides spectacular views and scenery. There are farms, the Skagit River, small towns, mountains and lots of forest. We like to stop in at the Cascadian Farm stand, located between Concrete and Marblemount, where you can buy fresh produce, sandwiches or get an ice cream cone.
Cascadian Farm Stand is a great stop on Highway 20
Gorge Lake along Highway 20
