Ross Lake National Recreation Area

Ross Lake National Recreation Area

Ross Lake National Recreation Area is a US National Recreation Area located in north central Washington just south of the Canadian border. It is the most accessible part of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex which also includes North Cascades National Park and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. Ross Lake NRA follows the Skagit River corridor from the Canadian border to the western foothills of the Cascades.

The NRA contains a portion of scenic Washington State Route 20, the North Cascades Highway, and includes three reservoirs: 12,000 acre (49 km²) Ross Lake, 910 acre (3.7 km²) Diablo Lake, and 210 acre (0.8 km²) Gorge Lake. These reservoirs make up the Skagit Hydroelectic Project operated by Seattle City Light. Nestled in the “American Alps” the Ross Lake NRA bisects the north and south units of North Cascades National Park.

Ross Lake National Recreation Area is a major recreation destination in the Northern Cascades, attracting visitors from across the US and Canada with fishing, hunting, canoeing, kayaking, climbing and hiking opportunities. The NRA contains trailheads that connect to hundreds of miles of hiking trails in adjoining North Cascades National Park, Pasayten Wilderness, and Skagit Valley Provincial Park.

National Park Service campgrounds along the North Cascades Highway including Newhalem Creek, Colonial Creek and Goodall Creek feature tent and RV camping. Newhalem, Washington is home to both the North Cascades Visitor Center and the Skagit Information Center. Along Ross Lake and Diablo reservoirs boat-in camping is allowed, permits are required from the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount, Washington.

Desolation Peak Lookout remains an operational fire lookout staffed each summer by fire personnel. The lookout features sweeping vistas of North Cascade peaks including Hozomeen Mountain. The lookout is best known as the setting for Jack Kerouac’s novel Desolation Angels. Kerouac spent the summer of 1956 manning the 14′ by 14′ structure for the U.S. Forest Service. The lookout can be accessed via a six mile (10 km) trail from the shore of Ross Lake.