Reaching Ross Lake Resort takes a ferry, a mountain road and one final boat ride — but the journey leads to a rare North Cascades retreat where wilderness, water and quiet set the pace.
Those of us who have the privilege of living in North Central Washington also have close-at-hand access to the North Cascades National Park. Sometimes called the “North American Alps,” these rugged mountains straddle a vast, remote wilderness area between the Eastern and Western sides of the State. This third National Park in Washington was established in 1968 but was not accessible to drive through until Highway 20 was completed in September of 1972. Ken and I were newlyweds, living on the Seattle side of the Cascades back then. We planned a trip to camp at Colonial Creek Campground on Diablo Lake with our families so we could be among the first to drive through our state’s newest National Park.
The birth story of this park began much earlier, in 1910 when the creation of the Skagit River Hydro Electric Project was proposed. It received Federal Government approval in 1918, and Seattle City Light’s visionary engineer, J.D. Ross took the lead on the building of three dams on the Skagit River: Gorge, Diablo, and Ruby (which later was named Ross Dam). Ross Lake (hydroelectric reservoir) is 23 miles long and extends to the Canadian Border, into The Skagit Valley Provincial Park in British Columbia.
The National Park itself is 789 square miles, but when the two National Recreation Areas within the Park’s boundaries are included (Ross Lake and Lake Chelan), the size of the Park increases to over 1,000 square miles! I was surprised to discover that with only 30-40,000 annual visitors our North Cascades National park is one of the least visited National Parks in the U.S. Some of the reasons for this relatively low number of visitors are:
- Harsh winter weather closes Highway 20 in the fall and usually keeps it closed into June.
- Wildfires in late summer and fall are frequent in the Park, and as a result road closures are not uncommon.
- People often look for parks with drivable scenic attractions, but this Park is more suited for those who love the rugged backcountry terrain.
- Limited accommodations (for sleeping and eating) are a hindrance for some travelers.
In June of this year our family had the opportunity to enjoy three days and nights at the Ross Lake Resort. The Resort opened in 1952, twenty years before Highway 20 was completed! Its remote location is still out of reach for internet service today, and there is no road access to the Resort. It is possible to hike in from the Ross Lake Dam trailhead on Highway 20. However, we chose the easier (but still complicated) way. After all, the journey to get there is what preserves and protects this special place. We left our car at the overnight Resort parking at Diablo Lake, loaded up all our food and personal items, and took the 30-minute Diablo Lake Seattle City Light Passenger Ferry up to the end of the lake. We then unloaded our gear (and ourselves) from the ferry onto the open-air, heavy-duty truck provided by the Resort. We then rode up to Ross Lake on a steep backroad (about a 400-foot elevation gain). Finally, we and all our gear, were efficiently picked up by a speed boat from the Resort, right across the lake, for a quick ride to our destination where we were unloaded right at the door of our floating cabin!
All of us immediately had a sense of well-being and connection to this unique setting. For me, everything I looked at had a picturesque backdrop behind it: the pristine wilderness, the scenic beauty of impressive, snow-capped mountains, the lush evergreen forests of Douglas firs, hemlocks, and cedars, and the reflections on the lake with lighting that changed by the minute. All of this contributed to the breath-taking natural wonders to be discovered. Embracing the sense of place here brought me relaxation and peace of mind.
The Resort is open mid-June through October, using a lottery list since it is such a popular destination. Some guests who have come summer after summer, have standing reservations. There is an interesting legacy display of pictures and quotations to memorialize generations of family gatherings at Ross Lake Resort. The cabins are comfortably furnished, including kitchens, bathrooms, electricity, and water. Bedding and cooking essentials are provided. (along with an outdoor gas grill). There are endless opportunities for outdoor recreation such as hiking, wildlife viewing, bird watching, swimming, boating, and fishing. The Resort rents canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, and motorboats. They do warn you that high winds are frequent on the lake, especially in the afternoons.
My daughter and I rented a canoe and started out late in the morning, paddling out on the tranquil lake water. However, we ended up with a strong headwind on our way back that tested our strength and skill. After dinner, when the wind calmed down, we took an evening paddle across the lake to get up close to the waterfall we had been looking at from a distance. I don’t think we had been in a canoe together since her Girl Scout days. The adventure on the lake was worth every stroke of the paddle.
We were blessed with three days of perfect weather, which is unusual in June. We noticed other families were doing what we were doing: watching the sunrise, and the sunset, the clouds moving across the sky, and stargazing. We also noticed people sitting on their decks reading actual, printed books, having quiet conversations, and just being present with the sacred beauty surrounding us all. The relativity of time slowed down, and that seemed to have a calming influence on everyone. My daughter compared it to how she feels when she is sitting on an ocean beach watching the tide come in or go out. I highly recommend this restorative, remote (but reachable) wilderness experience. It is a place to go to exhale stress and inhale peace and quiet; a place to recapture “the good life.”
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