Rivaling the beauty of Banff and Jasper, North Cascades National Park is one of the most beautiful destinations in the United States. The park is so far north in Washington it’s practically in Canada, and best of all, very few people know it even exists.
Start your journey through the North Cascades atop Mt. Baker, where you’ll play in the snow in the dead of summer. From there, drive the North Cascades Scenic Byway, where you’ll soak in the beauty of the same brilliant turquoise glacial lakes you find at Banff and Jasper. The highlight of the drive is a breathtaking stop high above Diablo Lake, which rivals the beauty of Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.
On Day 2, tour Mount St. Helens, the site of the worst volcanic disaster in US history. Seeing it first hand will give you an appreciation for the power of the eruption, which hurled a wall of debris through the blast zone that reached speeds up to 500 mph (800 km/h), pulverizing and incinerating everything in its path.
Released 9 July, 2023