WA’s Ultimate Attraction: One of the World’s *Most* Brutal

The North Cascades National Park is hands down one of the most beautiful places to visit in Washington State.

According to Wikipedia:

"...An American national park in the state of Washington. At more than 500,000 acres (200,000 ha), it is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the North Cascades National Park Complex. North Cascades National Park consists of a northern and southern section, bisected by the Skagit River that flows through the reservoirs of Ross Lake National Recreation Area." (Source)

I let Wiki do the "hard evidence," for me.

Home to American Bald Eagles, Black Bears, Wolverines, The River Otter, Bobcat, Cougar and Lynx to name a few.

"Fisher and Cascade red fox historically ranged throughout the Cascade mountains but have not been detected for decades." (Source)

How Many Hiking Trails are within the North Cascades National Park?

Well, let's give you this answer in distance...

"North Cascades has over 400 miles of trails to explore." - Source

So, what makes this stunning natural attraction so "dangerous"?

This part depends on what you see as dangerous. While some of the dangers are human caused, Mother Nature elements also play a big roll (literally, Rolling Avalanches). (Source)

What are the Statistics of fatalities a year in the North Cascades National Park?

"North Cascades National Park in Washington has the highest death rate among all national parks in the U.S. According to the National Park Service, North Cascades had 3.7 deaths for every 100,000 visitors from 2007 to 2021." - Source

“I’ve climbed all over the Western United States but yet my two major injuries and accidents have occurred in the North Cascades, so the terrain is rugged that probably plays into it quite a bit,” Steph Abegg, data analyst for LongPath

Does this mean the North Cascades National Park is cursed?

Absolutely not. This just means you should probably look at your own personal hiking and camping experiences, perfect them and still enter with caution. This of this park recreationally as a more advanced adventure. Don't push it here, be prepared for any and all, while maintaining confidence in every step. We cannot control everything, but we can control our actions. If you don't think you are capable, get capable and then do your camping and hiking here.