North Cascades Loop (page 3 of 5)

Points 12-16

12. Lake Chelan
The loop leads southward now, meandering down Rte. 153 through the fruit orchards, horse ranches, and hayfields of the Methow River valley toward Lake Chelan. Cradled in a narrow glacial trough between the Chelan Mountains and Sawtooth Ridge, the long, narrow, sapphire-blue lake is up to 1,500 feet deep.

At the southern end the resort town of Chelan serves as the launch point for excursion boats and seaplanes to Stehekin, a 19th-century mining community 55 miles uplake and inaccessible by road. Private farms along the lower shoreline yield at midlake, becoming a mix of forest and rugged bluffs scaled by mountain goats. At the northern tip lies the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, a wilderness laced with hiking trails.

13. Wenatchee Valley
The Wenatchee area calls itself the Apple Capital of the World, and the claim makes sense: its enormous annual crop of apples is greater than the number produced by any other apple-growing locale. In spring, mile after mile of orchards are suffused with delicate white-pink blooms; in fall, the trees hang heavy with red and golden globes.

Beautiful Ohme Gardens, in the town of Wenatchee, was begun by an orchardist in 1929 as a family retreat. Situated on nine acres of rock outcroppings high above the valley, the gardens are a harmonious blend of evergreens, alpine flowers, stone paths, and tranquil pools -- all enlivened by chirping birds and scampering rabbits.

In nearby Cashmere visitors can tour an authentically restored 19th-century pioneer village or stop by a popular candy factory to witness how Aplets and Cotlets, renowned local confections, are fashioned from apples, apricots, and nuts.

14. Leavenworth
On the verge of becoming a ghost town a few decades ago due to a loss of industry, Leavenworth reinvented itself as a village embodying all the charm and flavor of the Bavarian Alps. Half-timbered and balconied chalets and frescoed facades line the flower-bedecked streets, and merchants in traditional lederhosen or dirndls proffer frosty steins of Bier and steaming plates of Wurst. Leavenworth is also a prime location for white-water rafters and kayakers, who shoot the challenging Wenatchee River rapids found along the river's course between the towns of Leavenworth and Cashmere.

15. Tumwater Canyon
For several miles the drive parallels the Wenatchee River as it passes through Tumwater Canyon. Although the trees here are usually resplendent with fall color, about one-third of them were consumed by fires in the summer of 1994.

At Coles Corner, Rte. 207 leads to five-mile-long Lake Wenatchee, a pristine gem fringed with beaches, boat launches, and picnic spots.

16. Stevens Pass
Though rare and elusive, mountain goats can sometimes be seen from the highway at 4,061-foot Stevens Pass, an area popular with skiers in winter. For an unusual hike that combines glorious scenery with a glimpse into railroading's past, visit the Iron Goat Trail, which traces the route of the old Great Northern Railway for several miles below Stevens Pass. You can reach the trail by turning north onto the Old Cascade Highway and then taking Rte. 6710 to the trailhead. A few miles to the west, near Skykomish, Deception Falls thunders down the mountainside and under the highway bridge.

• • Road Trips

• Magnificent Mt. Rainier
• This gleaming colossus in the heart of Washington presides over miles of deep snowfields, flower-filled meadows, pristine streams, and lush evergreen forest.
• 
• Mt. Hood-Columbia River Gorge Loop
• Once part of a nearly impenetrable wilderness that tested the mettle of even the most determined pioneer, the dramatic volcanic peaks and river gorges of northern Oregon today are delightfully accessible.
• 
• Pacific Coast Highway
• From the roller-coaster hills of San Francisco to the dazzling seascapes of the North Coast, this California highway is paved with scenic riches.
• 
• Mt. Shasta-Cascade Loop
• This drive visits sky-shearing volcanoes, flourishing forests and wetlands that teem with life, and even otherworldly underground chambers.
• 
• Yosemite and Beyond
• Bejeweled with cliffs, domes, meadows, lakes, and waterfalls -- the legacy of bygone glaciers -- Yosemite National Park offers visitors a degree of beauty and variety that is truly mesmerizing.
• 
• More Great Road Trips!
•