This post is going to be a bit different but I am so excited to talk about my recent trip!! I thought that it was going to be hard without internet or cell service but it was actually quite freeing and I only really missed it when I wanted to check the weather in the morning. I was lucky that I was with my best friend-we have years of experience in entertaining each other in all kinds of situations. Plus we don’t get to see each other very often now that we live in different states so it was nice to have the time to just spend together.
Ross Lake is nestled in mountains in the north part of Washington, the northern part of the lake is actually in Canada. It’s part of North Cascades National Park so there are campgrounds all around but it’s very remote. Essentially you have to hike and/or take a boat to get anywhere. Ross Lake Resort is the only resort style area on the lake and getting there is quite the adventure. This area is so isolated that just to get to the cabins you have to drive and park at a dock at a different lake, take a 20 minute ferry ride, then hop in the back of a flatbed truck(courtesy of the resort) for another 20-30 minutes through the woods, and finally take a motor boat across the lake. And when they say “floating in the heart” they mean the cabins are literally floating on docks on the lake!
You can rent a boat and keep it directly in front of your cabin which is great because it’s the main way to get anywhere! There are lots of creeks and trails to explore so we spent most mornings going off on adventures. The forests and water are so isolated and untouched that the views are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The lake is so clear that we could see all the way to the bottom, even in areas 15-20 feet deep. It was mesmerizing to just sit and watch the fish swimming.
Afternoons were then spent resting and enjoying the sun. Although it’s a bit odd to be laying out when you can see mountains with snow still on them!
But it wasn’t all adventures and relaxation. The cabins have full kitchens because there’s nowhere to get food after the long haul into the woods(and yes this means you have to pack enough food to cook for the whole trip!) It also means smore’s can be made using the furnace inside when there’s a storm outside-we have our priorities.
They don’t recommend taking the boats out after dark since there are no lights anywhere but sunset trips are great for long conversations, reflection, and gorgeous views.
If you are an outdoorsy person at all I so highly recommend anywhere in the cascade mountains for a trip. Ross Lake Resort is small and highly sought-after so the wait list is unfortunately very long. Once you get a reservation you get to keep it year after year and no one wants to give theirs up. It’s really fun talking to the other people visiting because they’ll have years of stories about all of their trips.
However there are so many camping sites all over the national park(up the mountains, on the beach, even on islands in the middle of the lake) and they’re all well maintained. North Cascades National Park is in the top 5 of LEAST visited national parks in the US so it’s always easy to find a spot and you can get completely engulfed in nature. There’s a great visitors center that has maps explaining everything, as well as showing all of the different areas to hike and stay. Seriously if you are in the pacific northwest and like being outside this is such a cool place to visit!
To check out North Cascades National Park go here
For information on Ross Lake Resort go here
~Alison
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