Driving the Cascades Loop in Washington State

After writing quite a few articles about cruises around the world, I thought I would do something different and create an extended itinerary and review of the world-famous Cascades Loop through the gorgeous scenery of Washington State. The idea for this trip came from an article I read in the AAA magazine earlier in 2025, and I thought how impressive the scenery looked! We followed their recommendations, even down to some of the hotels and resorts we chose for our stops.

I have also created a narrated video of this drive around the Cascades Loop based on this article with many more photos now available on YouTube.

We spent 8 days in total for the drive, covering just over 1000 miles in that time.

Overview Map of the entire trip

Seattle to Marysville

We made this trip in late August which we thought would be slightly off-season, but still with good weather. Just a slight miscalculation there – schools in Texas started the week before our departure and foolishly, we thought this would be the case in Washington State. But, no – the schools there didn’t return until Labor Day and so some locations were still quite busy. We flew into Seattle airport (SEATAC) and picked up our rental car from Sixt. My last experience with Sixt in Hawaii was pretty dire, with one of the dirtiest cars I have ever rented, but here it was totally different. With a check-in online, we were able to bypass the main desks and go straight to the car level, show our code on the App, and we were given the keys and were out of the garage in an almost new Subaru Forester in very good condition. It is worth checking carefully for any defects as Sixt now use an AI vision system on return where the entire car is filmed and presumably the AI system compares the car with the images it had stored from before my rental. I had no issues, but it is worth thinking about.

Why Marysville? We wanted to explore Whidbey Island and found it difficult to find accommodation there. Marysville was close enough to the ferry from Mukilteo to Clinton on Whidbey Island and we also could easily drive north to visit other parts of that area as well. So, we chose to stay in the La Quinta in Marysville and were very pleased with both the location, the cleanliness and standard of the rooms there. We didn’t spend much time in the hotel, but it was perfect for our first three nights after arriving late in the afternoon on the first day.

Day 2 – Whidbey Island

Having flown from the East, we were two hours behind the local time and so we were up really early and caught the 6:30am ferry from Mukilteo for the 20-minute sail to the island.

I’ll be writing about the day in much more detail with many more photographs in my next article, but we basically tried to cover many of the most attractive parts of the island on this first day, planning to have a whale watching boat tour the next morning.

Our first stop was Double Bluff Beach in Useless Bay and were amazed by the masses of logs and tree trunks washed up on the beach in the winter storms. In the summer, the locals build various structures from them as you can see along the coastline:

By now, our early morning start was being felt in our empty stomachs and so we drove to the lovely town of Langley first to stroll along the sea front (and see this interesting statue of a small boy wistfully looking out to sea) and then have breakfast in the very well-reviewed Braeburn Restaurant. So popular, that we had to get in the line outside the eatery in time for the 9am opening!

In case I forgot to mention it, the breakfast was fantastic – salmon eggs benedict for me!

Then on to Fort Casey, a 19th-century defensive fortification built to deter invasion from the sea, with an interesting Admiralty Lighthouse which I think you can normally visit. It was closed when we were there. You do need a pass for most of these locations – we bought the annual pass to the Washington State Parks for $30 – well worthwhile!

Next on our list was Coupeville with its pier, interesting craft (and ice-cream) shops and a fascinating little museum filled with artifacts from both the native American peoples who lived in this area as well as more recent developments as the settlers arrived.

We did visit Oak Harbor, but this was nothing like as attractive as some of the other small settlements on the island.

The next highlight was certainly impressive – Deception Pass State Park with its historic bridge over the rapidly flowing tidal passage separating this island from Fidalgo Island.

With that we had pretty much achieved our objectives for day 1 and we drove back along the I5 back to Marysville and dinner.

Day 3 Fidalgo Island and the Whale Watching tour

Whale watching tours happen from many places in this area, but we decided on the larger catamaran operated by Island Adventures out of Anacortes at the very tip of Fidalgo Island. We took at 9am cruise and the journey there was easy and quick although it is best to arrive reasonably early to make sure you can park close to the dock. Although the cruise was fully booked, there was plenty of room both inside and on the three decks where you can choose to sit at the front or looking out over the stern. Although it wasn’t a windy day, at all, the speed of the boat makes for an uncomfortable “breeze” at the front and sides of the boat. Our rear-facing seat was great – sheltered from the winds and you could look at where you have been! The boat cruises through the San Juan islands with a narrated description of just where you are as the captain sails to where he thinks whales might be seen. We came across a pod of perhaps 4 or 5 Orca whales and the boat is skillfully maneuvered so that the whales are likely to appear on the same side of the boat after each deep dive to allow everyone to stand where they will be able to see them. Over 40 minutes or so, we saw the whales many times as they glided close to the shore, dived deep and then came back to the surface. The captain almost always managed to judge where that might be, and after the final dive, they surfaced almost immediately behind our boat.

As far as I know, these whales don’t splash their tails in the water – just glide smoothly along before they dive again, but it was great seeing them up close and personal!

We then sailed around some of the small, interesting islands looking for other wildlife – seals seem to be very comfortable in these waters – and this one was more curious than most:

I think it is trying to say something – perhaps “Mom, this is too deep!”

All the time, there are views in all directions – I was particularly impressed with the view of Mount Baker still with snow on its flanks over the many receding ridge lines of the mountains.

We were back in port just after noon and time for lunch. The town of Anacortes is fascinating, with many restaurants lining the main street. We chose the Adrift restaurant for lunch and sat outside in front, for a really delicious meal watching the world go by.

There is a Washington Park loop road close by – a lot of it is quite enclosed by trees with occasional views of the ocean, but towards the end of a large rock area with great views over both the islands and the town of Anacortes.

We also drove to the top of Mount Erie with its great views over the islands in the bay.

Next stop was the small riverside town of La Conner with its rainbow bridge over the river. I thought this was an “OK, sort of interesting” place but nowhere near as attractive as the ones on the island itself. A nice spot for a coffee and dessert to keep the appetite at bay in the late afternoon as we sat by the waterfront there.

Then the drive back to Marysville again ready to pack up for the next leg of our journey. Incidentally, the gas in the casino’s along I5 is about a dollar a gallon cheaper than at normal stations. Worth planning for!

But before bed, I decided the weather looked promising for a sunset, and so a quick drive down to the waterfront in Everett gave us the opportunity to see a lovely sunset over the water there:

Day 4 – the drive to Leavenworth

We were on the road reasonably early after the complimentary breakfast in La Quinta. Our plan was to drive to Wallace Falls State Park and do the hike up the hill to the middle falls. We sort of did that! As two 70+ year olds, we found this hike, which is marked as moderate, to be pretty tough. It is an almost constant uphill trail over quite rough ground in places through the old forest and we finally reached the lower falls overlook after about 2 hours of hiking. The middle falls, which is perhaps the much more impressive viewpoint was another steep hike further on, and I couldn’t get enough energy together to attempt that. So, I carried my camera bag and tripod all that way and got a pretty unimpressive handheld photo for my troubles.

On the plus side there is a comfortable covered picnic area here to rest our weary legs before starting the two-hour descent back to the car! I think it is safe to say that we were worn out at this stage, but it was not too far to our hotel in Leavenworth and a rest on a very comfortable bed!

Leavenworth is a very unusual place. It looks like a disney version of an Alpine village with German signs everywhere.

We thought at first that it must have been founded by rugged German and Austrian pioneers who trekked through the mountain passes to log the forests that must have covered the hillsides. But no! It was a regular western style town with a big logging industry and a key railway route through the mountains sustaining it. When the railway was rerouted elsewhere, the town began a long decline until in the 1960s the town council decided to completely remodel the town on an alpine village, influenced by some of the steep mountains around and the town is now a top tourism destination. Our hotel was the Pension Anna, complete with individual bedrooms decorated with traditional wooden furniture and even the double bed had two single quilts in the continental style. Breakfast was a fantastic spread of Austrian and German food including a boiled egg cooked to order.

We had a great steak dinner (with locally brewed beer) in the Mozart restaurant in town that evening and were fast asleep shortly afterwards.

Day 5 – Leavenworth and surrounding areas

We had two nights in Leavenworth, and so I was up at sunrise to photograph the town before the tourists descended on it. Here is a view along the Wenatchee River with a German style hotel under the mountainside at sunrise:

We had a quiet day strolling the town, visiting Lake Wenatchee and the cute little Hidden Lake at the end of a pretty easy stroll through the woods nearby. I photographed an old steel bridge built to carry a pipeline across the river on one of the drives:

We decided on an early meal that evening at the Yodelin Broth Company for an interesting natural meal (and local beer of course) which is below a fantastic photographer’s gallery full of magnificent metal prints – some about 12 feet across. I didn’t dare ask the price! Well worth a visit to see some great landscape images from the Washington area – Peter James Gallery.

One reason for the early meal was to leave time for a potential sunset at Lake Wenatchee. This was almost a disaster as I just assumed that sunset would be the same time as it had been back at the coast, and so I was only just pulling into the car park as the sun sank below the horizon. Racing to find a suitable composition and set up my tripod, I found some rocks that nicely mirrored the shapes of the mountains, and the skies cooperated to give me some glorious sunset shots.

We were due to depart that next morning, but no rush this time as the next hotel was not too far away. So, there was time to drive up along the Icicle Creek to visit the Icicle gorge. Unfortunately, after a longish drive, I reached a “road closed” sign which blocked off access. Still, a chance to take some raging water shots on the way back.

Day 6 and 7 – Chelan Lake

Leaving Leavenworth in the morning, we made our way towards Lake Chelan and the Campbells Resort. We had two nights booked here as well, and so there was no rush to get there. We drove first to Wenatchee on the Columbia River and strolled around the waterfront park to the famous Pybus public market inside an old steel and automotive construction building now filled with food, art and gift shops. The temperature was close to 100 degrees at this stage and so spending much time outdoors was not a good idea, and so we found the historic Owl Soda fountain shop and had an ice cream sitting inside out of the heat. Interesting town, but not one to spend much time in with the temperatures as they were.

Continuing north along the river, gave us some lovely views of the calm water and hills surrounding us.

Eventually, the road headed inland up a pass through the hills and dropped down to the Chelan Lake and we headed for the check-in. The skies had clouded over by this point, still hot, but the lack of sun doesn’t help the somewhat bland scenery at the lower end of the lake. Campbells Resort is very active at this point with multiple small beaches, swimming pools, paddles and canoes and everyone just having in a great time in the warm waters of this lake. We decided to eat in the on-site restaurant, Campbell’s Pub and Veranda and had a very pleasing meal there on the veranda overlooking the bridge and lake. The skies in the evening actually cleared a little and so thoughts of a sunset filled my mind! I simply stood on one of the small beaches with a view up the lake and watched the sunset develop. Very nice!

The original plan for the second day was to take the ferry that sails early in the morning all the way up the 50-mile-long lake to the tiny settlement of Stehekin, which is not reachable by road. Besides a famous bakery, waterfalls and bike riding, this was going to be a dramatic sail through the narrow gorge in the north of the lake. But, with clouds forecast for the day, it just didn’t seem worthwhile, and so we planned instead to have a more relaxed day first touring up the lake as far as the road would take us and then having a leisurely lunch at the Italian restaurant at Tsillan Vineyards overlooking the lake.

As you can see, the clouds and mist were certainly not helping with landscape photography and so we felt comfortable with our decision to miss the boat trip to Stehekin. Perhaps on our next visit!

The lunch at the Tsillan Vineyards certainly lived up to our expectations. The food was delicious and their wine selection was equally impressive. Couple that with the relaxed service and the views over the grapes towards the lake and you have a perfect lunch.

Later in the afternoon, we visit the Chelan Wildlife area along the Colombia River. It was great to stroll along the paths (although the views were a bit overgrown to be honest) and I did manage to spot some birds!

Dinner that evening was actually a gluten free pizza from the Safeway across the street from the resort!

Day 8 – Winthrop

Off on the road again towards the mountains! Again, the distance to Winthrop was not many miles and so we cruised along admiring the changing scenery. Still cloudy at this point, but the forecast was good for later that evening and the following days. We did stop first to admire the views along the Columbia River in the very small town of Pateros and then headed up the Methow Valley Highway towards the North Cascade mountains. The valley is certainly picturesque without being overly dramatic and there was not much traffic so we could leisurely admire the scenery. We stopped first at Twisp for the visitor center (and toilets) and we were given some great information from the lady there about both places to eat in Twisp and what to visit when we arrived in Winthrop. We eventually chose the Cinnamon Twisp Bakery for a light lunch of toasted avocado and bacon sandwiches. Very quiet in there, but delicious.

We were recommended to visit the Falls Creek Falls north of Winthrop first. After our 4-hour hike to the waterfalls earlier in this adventure, these falls are a few hundred feet from the road along a paved path! Interesting all the same!

Then we visited Pearrygin Lake State Park before making the drive up the mountain to the Sun Mountain Lodge with great views over the surrounding hills. Winthrop is like an old Western town with dark wood buildings lining the main street and we stayed in the Rivers Edge Resort cabins in the center of town. Very comfortable, this time with a separate sitting room and kitchen area and a hot tub on the rear deck.

We did walk up to the Shafer Historical museum just outside town – and were amazed by the number of historic buildings they have included in the grounds as well as the many artifacts gathered from earlier years. Although the museum was closed, the entry gate was open and they seemed to welcome people just walking around looking at what they had collected. Well worth the short walk.

Plenty of restaurants along the main street as well. We chose to visit the Old Schoolhouse Brewery just a few steps from our cabin. Good home cooking, and good beers!

Early the next morning, I took the opportunity to photograph the old building on the main street before cars started to park alongside the road. Some fascinating buildings there – I wish I had had time to dig more into the history of the town.

Day 9 – North Cascades National Park to Marblemount

We wanted an early start to get into the National Park before it got too busy and hoped that the lighting would be better for photography. Yes, and no, was the answer. It was not busy at all on the road into the park, but the light over the mountains was pretty much in our faces as we made our way towards the summit of Washington Pass, which made the sides of the gorge very dark on the ascent. Before we got into the park, I captured this higher view of the road showing how little traffic was around.

The overlook at Washington Pass was closed for resurfacing when we were there, but with the light in the morning, I don’t think it would have been that spectacular. The whole area is very impressive though and as we descended from the highest point, we stopped to take the stroll to Rainy Lake on a well-prepared wheelchair friendly path. Perhaps a 20-minute walk in each direction, but the small lake was like a mirror with the light nicely illuminating the mountainside.

The views just got better as we continued through the park. First up was Ross Lake overlook with its magnificent panorama over the lake and the mountains receding into the background.

In the distance, we saw the smoke plume from the Perry Fire which had started following a lightning strike a couple of days earlier. I understand that it has now spread to over 1300 acres on fire since we left.

Diablo Lake was next with its vibrant turquoise water caused by the suspension of glacier “flour” in the water running off from the melting snow. The normal overlooks are fantastic, but I decided to take the Thunder Knob trail from the lakeside up to an overlook high over the lake. The endless switchbacks were a bit of a trial, but I did the 650 feet climb in around 40 minutes or so, not bad for an old person! And the views were well worth the effort!

It is hard to cap that – although the drive down to the dam at the end of the lake is pretty impressive as well. We slowly made our way out of the park to our final stop – the North Cascades Inn in Marblemount. This is right outside the park, and the town is almost nothing – this one old wooden hotel, two restaurants and two gas stations. But the hotel is very nicely finished and very clean and tidy. Decor is a little unusual, to say the least!

We had dinner in a restaurant owned by the hotel, the Upriver Grill and Taproom – just across the road. Perfectly acceptable food, especially for such an out of the way place.

Day 10 – Marblemount to SEATAC

The final day – no real rush as we had an early afternoon flight, but there were a few items left in the room fridge for us to start our day. The clouds had settled in again (which made the weather on our day driving along the North Cascades Scenic Highway such a treat). There are two alternate ways from here – one through Concrete (yes, there is such a place) direct to the I5, the other heading south on the 530 through Darrington. We chose the latter – traffic was much heavier now on this Saturday before Labor Day, but even here the weather cleared for just five minutes to give a view of Glacier Peak (I think) as we were driving south. A gorgeous end to the vacation in Washington State!