North Cascades National Park (The American Alps)

The Flight Experience

The North Cascades offer a flight profile defined by vertical hostility and endless ice. If Rainier is a king on a throne, the North Cascades are an army of jagged soldiers. This is not a place of rolling hills or gentle transitions; it is a sea of sharp, non-volcanic granite spires that rise almost vertically from deep, forested valleys.

For virtual pilots, the visual signature is density. You can fly for 20 minutes and pass dozens of distinct, named peaks that would be the centerpiece of any other park. The terrain is incredibly "busy"—a chaotic mix of hanging glaciers, waterfalls, sharp ridges (arêtes), and deep turquoise lakes. It is the ultimate test of your simulator’s mesh resolution, as the valleys are narrow and the walls are steep.

Visual Highlights

• The Picket Range:
  The most famous and forbidding section of the park. It looks exactly like its name: a fence line of jagged, terrifyingly steep spikes. It is widely considered the most rugged terrain in the contiguous US. Flying alongside the Northern Pickets at 8,000ft gives you a humbling sense of scale; there are virtually no flat spots to land an emergency helicopter, let alone a plane.

• Ross Lake & Diablo Lake:
  These reservoirs cut through the heart of the mountains. In the simulator, Diablo Lake is instantly recognizable by its surreal, milky turquoise color (caused by "glacial flour" or rock silt). It glows like a neon light against the dark green fir trees. Ross Lake stretches north like a long, winding fjord into Canada.

• Mount Shuksan: Located just outside the official park boundary (near Mt. Baker), this is one of the most photographed mountains in the world. From the air, it is a massive, complex pyramid of black rock and hanging white glaciers (like the Hanging Glacier and Sulphide Glacier).

• Stehekin Valley: At the northern tip of Lake Chelan, this community is accessible only by boat, foot, or plane. The valley is a deep, U-shaped glacial trough that feels like a hidden sanctuary compared to the jagged peaks above.

Pilot’s Note

The Valley Trap. This is dangerous flying. The North Cascades are notorious for "dead-end valleys."

• The Threat: You might fly up a drainage that looks wide, only to have the canyon walls narrow and the floor rise faster than your aircraft can climb.

• The Rule: Always have an "out." Never fly up a valley unless you can see the pass at the end or have enough width to turn 180 degrees. Hug one side of the valley (the side with the updrafts) so you have the full width to turn around if needed.

VFR Flight Plan: The Highway 20 Run

Departure: Concrete Municipal (3W5) Arrival: Stehekin State (6S9)

Aircraft Recommendation: De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver or CubCrafters XCub. You want a true bush plane. Speed is not your friend here; visibility and short-field performance are.

Cruise Altitude: 6,500ft MSL (Valley Running) / 9,500ft MSL (Ridge Crossing)

Total Distance: ~60 NM

Estimated Time: 40–50 minutes

Route Waypoints & Navigation

1. Departure: The Skagit Entry

• Takeoff 3W5: Depart East, following the Skagit River.

• Visual Cue: You are following Highway 20 (The North Cascades Highway).

• The Vibe: The valley is wide here, but you can see the "gate" closing ahead as the mountains squeeze in.

2. Waypoint 1: The Turquoise Lakes (Diablo)

• Navigation: Follow the river until it widens into the dams.

• The View: Diablo Lake will appear below you. The color is unmistakable.

• Action: Circle the dam. Look North to see Jack Mountain looming 7,000ft above the lake.

• Decision: You can follow Ross Lake North, but our route turns South/Southeast towards the high passes.

3. Waypoint 2: Rainy Pass & Washington Pass

• Navigation: Follow the highway East as it climbs steeply.

• The Crux: You need to climb hard to clear Washington Pass (approx 5,500ft, but you should be at 7,500ft+ for safety).

• Visual Cue: Look for Liberty Bell Mountain—a giant granite thumb standing guard over the pass. It is a legendary climbing spot.

4. Waypoint 3: The Glacier Transition

• Navigation: Once over the pass, turn South-Southeast into the untracked wilderness towards Glacier Peak (visible in the distance).

• The View: You are now flying over the spine of the Cascades. To your right is the Ptarmigan Traverse, a famous alpine route. The terrain is nothing but white ice and grey rock.

5. Arrival: The Secret Strip (Stehekin)

• Navigation: Locate the northern tip of Lake Chelan (a massive, fjord-like lake).

• The Descent: Drop into the deep Stehekin Valley.

• Landing: Stehekin State Airport (6S9).

• The Challenge:

  • The Approach: It is a grass/gravel strip located in a deep canyon.

  • The Visual: You are landing in a place that feels cut off from the modern world. The approach over the water (or down the valley) is breathtaking. Watch for turbulence rolling off the ridges.

Simulator Setup Recommendations

Setting

Recommendation

Reason

Time of Day

High Noon

Unlike the desert profiles, here you want the sun high. The valleys are so deep and narrow that if the sun is low, the valley floors (and your landing strip) will be in pitch-black shadow.

Weather

Overcast (High)

Set a solid cloud deck at 12,000ft. This caps the mountains and creates a moody, brooding atmosphere typical of the Pacific Northwest, forcing you to stay in the valleys ("scud running").

Season

Early Autumn (September)

The snow has melted back to the permanent glaciers, revealing the grey rock structure, but the "Larches" (alpine trees) are turning brilliant gold/orange, contrasting with the evergreen firs.