This huge national park, located in the north central of Washinton State, is informally known as the "
Alps of the US". With elevation gains from creek to peak of frequently a mile and a half or more, hanging glaciers, dense undergrowth, and inclement weather, it is a region that requires great fortitude to penetrate even slightly.
Today, the almost 700 alpine glaciers in the northern Cascade Range are but a fraction of the size of their ice age counterparts, yet account for most of the glacier in the lower 48 states. Glacial concentrations surround all major peaks.