The 440 mile long scenic drive gives visitors a taste of Washington State’s diverse regions, including the Snohomish River Valley, Stevens Pass Greenway, Leavenworth Cascade Foothills, Wenatchee Columbia River Valley, Lake Chelan Valley, Methow Valley, North Cascades National Park, Skagit Valley and Whidbey Island.
There are numerous adventures to be enjoyed along the Cascade Loop and with such a diversity of landscapes along the route, visitors are spoilt for choice:
- Zip-line with High Trek Adventures in Mukilteo or Leavenworth Zip Lines in Plain
- Go white-water rafting on the Skykomish, Wenatchee, Methow and Skagit Rivers with Outdoor Adventure Center
- Rock climb or boulder on the world-renowned Index Town Wall, Leavenworth’s Icicle River Valley, Mazama’s Fun Wall or go indoors at Wenatchee’s Riverfront Rock Gym
- Hike into amazing waterfalls: Wallace Falls in Gold Bar, Bridal Veil Falls near Index, Deception Falls on Stevens Pass, Silver Falls in Entiat and Rainbow Falls in off-the-grid Stehekin (accessible via Lady of the Lake or Lake Chelan Helicopters), Ladder Creek Falls, and Gorge Creek Falls in the North Cascades
- Go horse riding in Plain with Mountain Springs Lodge, in Winthrop at Sun Mountain Lodge, or at off-the-grid Stehekin Valley Ranch via Lady of the Lake Boat Tours or Lake Chelan Helicopters
- Skydive into a vineyard with Lake Chelan Skydiving
- Mountain bike all along the Loop. (Rentals available in the Methow Valley)
- Grab the best views of the Methow Valley from a hot air balloon with Morning Glory Balloon Tours
- Backpack or day hike through miles of backcountry in the North Cascades National Park
- Watch whales with Island Adventures departing from La Conner or Anacortes
Fly-drive itineraries can be self-made or put together by tour operators, and offer a wonderful addition to a city break in Seattle. These can include stays in a variety of properties such as the Mayflower Park Hotel in Seattle at the start and end of the adventure and along the route, Icicle Inn Resort in Leavenworth, Coast Wenatchee Center Hotel in Wenatchee, Freestone Inn in Mazama, Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop, and the Fort Casey Inn in Coupeville.
For a full guide to the Cascade Loop click here.
British Airways and Virgin offer daily flights from Heathrow to Seattle, plus there are additional seasonal direct flights that run from May to October from Gatwick with Norwegian, from Dublin with Aer Lingus and from Manchester with Thomas Cook Airlines. Icelandair also flies to Seattle via Reykjavik. BMI has direct connections to Heathrow from Belfast, while easyJet has direct connections to Gatwick and Manchester from Belfast. Ryanair and Flybe also offer services from Belfast to Manchester.
For further information on visiting Seattle and Washington State visit Seattle-WashingtonState.co.uk.
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