“Hart’s Pass is the highest point in the State of Washington that one can drive. The road was built in 1893 into gold and silver mines that once were home to over 1,000 permanent residents. This narrow road hangs along a cliff wall providing magnificent vistas and breathtaking canyons. The road ends near timberline, over 6000’ in elevation, and opens up into the heart of the North Cascades. Hart’s Pass road accesses the Pacific Crest Trail and a network of other trails heading into the vast Pasayten Wilderness that borders Canada 20 miles to the north. This glaciated landscape provides endless wildflower habitats for exploring from the rocky talus and scree slopes to fellfields, and richly diverse alpine meadows.” [US Forest Service]

“In the end, there is no landscape more beautiful and daunting than what we have in our own backyard. The North Cascades are rugged, relentless, and soulful.” – Chad Kellogg, American mountaineer

“The North Cascades are a place where the water meets the trees meets the rocks meets the snow. It’s a place that can teach a person how small they really are.” – Kelly Martin, superintendent of the North Cascades National Park

“The North Cascades are the American Alps – sheer, inspiring, and packed with epic vistas and ragged peaks. They are one of the last great wildernesses in the United States.” – Joe Riis, wildlife photographer and adventurer

Some will really like this route, and others think not so much. Expect rough and rugged. Be sure to check the comments section for the latest conditions, they are ever changing.

There are a number of great write-ups on the Internet about this route, one of the best is by Our Mother the Mountain.