North Cascades Highway (Map, Weather, Camping)
North Cascades Highway
After leaving Spokane, we took the advice of a couple we met in Grand Teton and drove the North Cascades Highway (SR20) to Seattle. It’s a scenic byway that cuts through the Cascade Mountain Range and has some beautiful views. We had no issues driving this route in our 37’ class A motorhome towing our Jeep. We share our route, weather, camping, how to check if the highway is open or closed, and the opening/closure dates for the last six years. Don’t have time to read this now? Pin it for later!
North Cascades Highway Map
The North Cascades Highway transverses the northern part of Washington from U.S. Route 101 at Discovery Bay on the Olympic Peninsula to US 2 near the Idaho state border in Newport.
North Cascades Highway Map
We took US-395 North from Spokane to WA-20 and then traveled west on the North Cascades Highway to Interstate 5. We saw waterfalls (aka cascades), rivers, several big lakes, and went up and down through the mountains. It was a beautiful drive and we highly recommend this route.
North Cascades Highway Weather
| Year | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | April 18 | Dec 11 |
| 2018 | May 11 | Nov 28 |
| 2017 | May 16 | Nov 10 |
| 2016 | April 22 | Nov 18 |
| 2015 | April 3 | Nov 12 |
| 2014 | May 8 | Nov 24 |
Our timing was perfect as it closes in Nov\Dec for the winter due to snowfall. However, the weather turned rainy and foggy so our visibility was limited in parts, but it added a neat element. Nothing so bad that it made the drive stressful.
Is the North Cascades Highway Open?
Get the latest information regarding the status of the North Cascades Highway, current weather conditions, and web cameras from the Washington State Department of Transportation. Here is a link. Want to see when the North Cascades Highway opened or closed in past years? Check our chart.
North Cascades Highway Camping
We camped one night at RV Spot in Loon Lake, Washington. This was a Boondockers Welcome host. Then we parked overnight for free at the Walmart Supercenter in Omak, Washington. Once we came out on the other side, we stopped at Grandy Lake Campground which was in a secluded part of the woods about 20 minutes off the highway, right on a lake. There were only a couple of other RVs there tucked away in the furthest campsites but they looked like they were probably living there despite the two-week limit. It is primitive camping with no hookups, but the price ($7/day) couldn’t be beaten to pretty much have the place to ourselves.
It rained the entire time so we had to get situated and also leave in wet weather (we had to unhook the Jeep to turn around), but we have the proper rain gear so it’s not too much of a chore. Fairly easy in and out although I wouldn’t go with something too much larger than we are since there is no loop to turn around with.
It’s autumn and the area is surrounded by trees that are just dumping leaves everywhere 24/7. There was no campground host, but funny enough a guy came and spent hours blowing all the leaves off the road and campsites so it’s still getting some attention. We did a walkabout of the area and there is a kind of magical forest feeling too since many of the trees are covered in moss.
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