North Cascades National Park crisis

North Cascades National Park is heading into summer 2026 with major access problems spread across both its road system and its remote Stehekin area. GearJunkie reported on May 19 that last year’s wildfires and flooding left the Washington park with broad infrastructure damage just as visitation had been rising. National Park Service updates and Washington State Department of Transportation notices show the disruption is not one closure but a stack of overlapping problems: flood-damaged roads in Stehekin, wildfire-related hazard areas, and a still-shut stretch of State Route 20, the North Cascades Highway. For visitors, that means the park is open in parts, but the normal summer map no longer works. ### Why is this park suddenly so hard to visit this summer? GearJunkie said North Cascades had been gaining momentum, with visitation up 55% since 2022 and more than 46,000 visitors in 2025, before fires and flooding hit operations. The publication said the damage now threatens the 2026 peak season. The National Park Service said a December 2025 flood in the Stehekin River was the second-largest on record and caused major changes in the lower Stehekin Valley. (gearjunkie.com) The agency said about 1,000 linear feet of Company Creek Road and a 400-foot levee were lost, cutting off safe vehicle access beyond the damaged area. ### What is broken in Stehekin? Stehekin is one of the park complex’s signature destinations, reachable from Lake Chelan rather than by a standard highway approach. On May 7, the North Cascades National Park Service Complex said historic flooding had left the wastewater treatment plant at Stehekin Landing inoperable, forcing broad cuts to visitor services for summer 2026, according to local coverage of the announcement. (nps.gov) Lake Chelan Mirror reported that North Cascades Lodge at Stehekin will not provide its usual lodging, restaurant, retail, fuel, laundry or public shower services for now. Ferry service, private shuttles and tours are continuing, and Lakeview and Purple Point campgrounds are to remain open first-come, first-served, with potable water and vault toilets available. (lakechelanmirror.com) ### Is the North Cascades Highway open? WSDOT said the most damaged section of SR 20 remains closed between Colonial Creek Campground near milepost 130 and Porcupine Creek near milepost 156. The agency said winter storm damage and a spring rockslide caused multiple washouts, unstable slopes and more than 1,000 feet of undermined or collapsed roadway and shoulder. (lakechelanmirror.com) WSDOT said work began May 5 on one emergency contract and May 13 on a second, with a full reopening target of Thursday, June 25. Until repairs are complete, the closed stretch is off limits not only to vehicles but also to bicycles, hikers and campers, because some of the damage is not visible from the road surface. (wsdot.wa.gov) ### Are wildfires still part of the problem? The National Park Service said there are no current area, trail or camp closures from active wildfires, but it also said some long-term closures remain because burned landscapes can stay dangerous for years. The agency warned of falling dead trees, unstable terrain, rolling debris, displaced wildlife and debris flows in post-fire areas. (wsdot.wa.gov) The park’s trail conditions page also shows other active restrictions, including the long-running vehicle closure on Cascade River Road at milepost 20 and the SR 20 closure at milepost 130. That means even where fire is no longer actively burning, the aftereffects of earlier fires still shape where people can safely go. ### So what should a visitor do before going? (nps.gov) The National Park Service said full flooding impacts across the park complex were not yet fully known as of its December 19 update because conditions were unstable and still being assessed. The agency said additional assessments and stabilization work would continue into spring. For summer 2026, the practical move is to check three separate sources before departure: the park’s current conditions page, the trail conditions page and WSDOT’s SR 20 repair page. (nps.gov) WSDOT’s current target for reopening the closed highway segment is June 25, and NPS said updates and alerts for Stehekin, trails and fire-related hazards will continue to be posted online. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2)