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North Cascades National Park Service Complex
Cross-country Zones
Climber standing in avalanche path, looking toward route up a distant peak.

NPS/Alex Brun

A climber surveys the route ahead.

Cross-country travel in the North Cascades is a rewarding and revealing experience for those who are prepared to undertake its rigors. Routefinding is an essential skill, and travel requires greater care in order to protect the wild country you are passing through.

To protect this wild experience, please follow the following regulations: Cross-country zones begin a mile from designated camps and a half mile from trails—out of site as well. When traveling cross-country, camping is allowed only on durable surfaces such as snow, rock, or bare ground. Camping in meadows or within 100 feet of water sources is not allowed. Fires are not allowed. Human waste must be buried in a cathole or (when above treeline in snow or on glaciers) carried out in a blue bag.

 

 

KEY to Cross Country Zones

Zone name – Corresponds to cross country zones as shown on the Wilderness Trip Planner Map (18x22 PDF 1,802 KB). This document is available by calling the Wilderness Information Center, or the Sedro-Woolley Information Center, or email us to request a copy.

Maximum party size – Maximum number of people that are allowed in each party. Most zones allow only 6 people per party; however, some of the most easily accessibly zones allow 12. Stock parties take note: Where stock are allowed, the maximum party size includes number of people and stock combined—no more than 6 total pairs of eyes.

Maximum number of parties – Maximum number of permits issued for each zone for each night. Each party requires one permit.

Comments – Additional information about a specific cross country zone

 

Zone Name

Maximum party size

Maximum number of parties

Comments

Arriva

6

6

Bacon Peak

6

3

Battalion

6

2

Bear Mountain

6

6

Benzarino

6

3

Berdeen

6

3

Blum

6

2

Boston Basin

12

6

Very popular zone; composting toilets at upper and lower elevations

Boston Glacier

6

6

Bouck

6

6

Buckner

6

6

Castle Rock

6

2

Colonial

6

6

Challenger

6

6

Copper Mountain

6

2

Crescent Creek

6

6

Davis Peak

6

3

Dee Dee Lakes

6

1

Stock parties allowed

Depot

6

6

Despair

6

3

Easy Ridge

6

4

Eldorado

12

6

Popular zone; human waste left on snow is a problem, use blue bags and carry them out

Elephant Butte

6

6

Elija Ridge

6

2

Forbidden

12

6

Goode

6

6

Hidden Lake

12

3

Hock

6

2

Hozomeen

6

3

Icy

12

6

Inspiration

12

6

Johnannesburg

6

6

Kettling

6

2

Klawatti

6

6

Little Chilliwack

6

6

Little Jack

6

1

Logan

6

6

Luna

6

6

Marble Creek

6

3

McGregor

6

6

Middle Lakes

6

3

Nooksack

12

6

Perfect Pass

6

1

Pioneer Ridge

6

2

Price

12

6

Prophet

6

3

Purple

6

3

Stock parties allowed

Ragged Ridge

6

3

Rainbow Ridge

6

2

Stock parties allowed

Rennie

6

3

Stock parties allowed

Ruby

6

3

Snowfield

6

6

Sourdough

6

6

Spickard

6

3

Starvation Ridge

6

3

Stiletto

6

3

Stout Lakes

6

3

Sulphide Glacier

12

6

Very popular zone; composting toilets at upper and lower elevations

Tapto Lakes

6

3

Popular zone

Teebone

6

3

Terror Basin

6

6

Tolo

6

2

Torment Basin

12

6

Triad

12

6

Triplet Lakes

6

6

Stock parties allowed

Triumph

6

2

Popular zone
Did You Know?  

Did You Know?
North Cascades National Park Service Complex includes 684,000 acres near the crest of the Cascade Mountains from the Canadian border south to Lake Chelan.

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Last Updated: April 29, 2008 at 12:31 EST