North Cascades Scenic Highway
Washington
Map
Byway Details
- Designation
- National Forest Scenic Byway
- Length
- 126 mi in Washington
- Managed by
- Forest Service
About North Cascades Scenic Highway
The North Cascades Scenic Highway is a 126.1-mile route in Washington, designated both a National Forest Scenic Byway and a Washington State Scenic Byway, on land managed by the Forest Service. Its listed towns run from Sedro-Woolley through Lyman, Hamilton, Concrete, Rockport and Marblemount to Winthrop, so there are regular stops along the way for anyone driving the full length. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. July and August bring typical highs of about 74 to 75°F and only seven or eight wet days a month, based on averages from a nearby weather station in Sedro-Woolley. That station sits at just 60 feet, so expect cooler temperatures on higher stretches of the drive. The byway also makes a good base for other outings. Early Winters Campground and Goodell Creek Campground sit right along the route. Climbers can head to Diablo Wall, and paddlers have the Skagit River close by.
Scenic byway data: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: May–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 60–75°F and lows of 43–53°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Sedro-Woolley, WA weather station, 1.1 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan46° high35° low
- Feb49° high35° low
- Mar53° high38° low
- Apr58° high41° low
- May65° high47° low
- Jun69° high51° low
- Jul74° high53° low
- Aug75° high53° low
- Sep70° high49° low
- Oct60° high43° low
- Nov50° high39° low
- Dec45° high34° low
Where it is
- Towns along the route
- Sedro-Woolley · Lyman · Hamilton · Concrete · Rockport · Marblemount · Winthrop
Source: USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
- National Forest Development Road 400Cross-country skiing0.1 mi
- National Forest Development Road 300Cross-country skiing0.1 mi
- State Creek Bypass TrailHiking0.1 mi
- Early Winters CampgroundCamping0.1 mi
- Diablo WallRock climbing0.1 mi
- Goodell Creek CampgroundCamping0.1 mi
- Ryan's WallRock climbing0.1 mi
- Upper Skagit ValleyRock climbing0.1 mi
- Ruby CreekCanoeing0.1 mi
- Skagit RiverCanoeing0.1 mi
- KlipchuckCamping0.3 mi
- Early Winters CreekCanoeing0.7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 2 miles of the route, PostGIS distance)
