• View from Sourdough Mountain Overlook  A view looking down onto Diablo Lake. Photo Credit: NPS/Michael Silverman, 2010.

    North Cascades

    National Park Washington

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  • Interstate 5 Bridge Collapse Detour

    I-5 is closed in both directions in Skagit County south of Burlington. WSDOT has published the following detour map. Also consider State Route 530 through Darrington from the south or State Route 9 from Bellingham and the Lower Mainland to reach the park. More »

Glacial Contribution to Stream Flow

Figure 14 lists the annual amount of runoff from the glaciers monitored. It is interesting to note that the amount the glaciers melt varies by as much as 50% from year to year. Furthermore, the glaciers provide a greater amount of water during years when snow pack is minimal. Thus, glaciers buffer streams, lakes and wetlands from droughts.
 
Figure 14
Figure 14 - Percent Glacier Runoff to May-September Runoff

Did You Know?

lupine is a common flower in dry sunny areas

In addition to Wilderness, Recreation Areas and National Park designations there are also five Research Natural Areas in the complex: Silver Lake, Pyramid Lake, Boston Glacier, Stetattle Creek and Big Beaver Valley.