2026 Should Have Been a Breakout Year for This National Park, But Now It’s in Crisis

In the hierarchy of national parks, the North Cascades in Washington state has traditionally ranked pretty low. It receives fewer than 50,000 visitors annually, but its remote, rugged landscape is slowly becoming more popular. Since 2022, its visitor numbers have jumped 55%, and 2025 was a landmark year, with over 46,000 visitors, the most ever.

Its potential in 2026 looked bright, until disaster after disaster struck. Extensive wildfires and flooding last year left widespread damage in the park. The North Cascades is facing major infrastructure problems and area closures, spelling trouble for the upcoming peak summer season. The future of this former star on the rise could now be in doubt.

The Park

The North Cascades National Park (NCNP) is located in the North Cascades mountain range. This region is known as the “Alps of America.” It’s home to numerous glaciers, and much of the park is rugged and undeveloped. With over 80 inches of rain per year, it’s extremely green and lush.

There are two main parts of the park that receive the most visitors. The first, further north, centers around Ross Lake, where the park shares a boundary with Ross Lake National Recreation Area. The next, further south, is only accessible by ferry. Stehekin Valley is home to the scenic Lake Chelan. Both areas are home to many popular trails and campgrounds.

What Happened

Wildfires often occur in this part of Washington. In September 2025, a lightning strike sparked the Perry Fire in the park. It reached a size of approximately 1,600 acres and shut down several trails and campgrounds in the area.

Then, in December 2026, Stehekin Valley experienced its second-largest flooding on record due to an atmospheric river. Roads, levees, and buildings experienced significant damage from water and landslides.

Since these incidents, NPS staff has been working diligently with community members and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to attempt to clear debris, rebuild roads, and restore full visitor services.

Not Ready for Primetime

Summer is the peak tourist season, with most visitors to the park in June and August. In May, park officials announced that, despite their best efforts, the park would not be fully operational in time.

Stehekin Landing, the small town that serves the surrounding valley, has no operational wastewater treatment facility. GJ spoke with a park representative via email, who explained that the area will have no fully functioning toilets, only vault toilets at campgrounds and portable toilets at the landing. There is no timeline for a temporary or full repair.

North Cascades Lodge, which the NPS owns and operates through a contractor, offers important services to visitors, including lodging, food, retail, fuel, laundry, and showers. However, it will be closed for business this summer.

Ferry services, postal service, and tour companies are the only services that will be fully functional in the valley.

Several trails and campgrounds across the park are also closed, including the Stetattle Creek Trail, Little Beaver Trail, Whatcom camp, Perry Creek camp, Sourdough Mountain camp, Hooter camp, and Gorge Lake camp. Due to fire and flood damage, “some areas may be extremely difficult to navigate depending on hiker ability, especially at creek crossings,” an NPS representative explained.

Sections of two important roads — the Cascade River Road and State Route 20 — are also closed at this time. They normally provide vehicle access to trailheads and scenic overlooks.

What Visitors Can Expect

The NPS recommended that visitors check the park’s website and trail conditions before planning their visit. Even with the closures, there is still plenty to do in the park and surrounding areas.

“There is frontcountry and backcountry camping, hiking trails, waterfalls, kayaking or canoeing on Ross Lake, boat tours on Diablo Lake, and ranger programs beginning in mid-June at the North Cascades Visitor Center,” an NPS representative explained.

Why Does It Matter?

While the North Cascades has faced environmental damage before, the one–two punch of floods and fires in 2025 is a new level of disruption. One of the main visitor areas has no wastewater system, and the park still has no long-term plan for its return.

History shows that flooding and fires lead to sharp downturns in visitation to the NCNP. For example, visitor numbers fell from 40,351 to 16,485 between 2023 and 2024 following fires.

Given all of this, the NCNP will likely see a significant drop in visitor numbers in 2026. That, in turn, will affect the local economy. A 2017 report (the most recent year for which we have data) shows that the park and the surrounding national recreation areas supported 370 jobs and contributed $37.9 million to local economies.

Of course, fewer visitors also mean fewer entry fees and less revenue for the national park, making recovery from disasters like these even more challenging.