North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park, located near the city of Mount Vernon, Washington, is based around and named after the mountain range that runs through the center of the park: the North Cascades. North Cascades National Park is the 33rd National Park in the United States, designated on October 2nd, 1968. Abundant plant and animal species populate the park at every turn, all part of an ecosystem unique to the park. Learn more about North Cascades National Park by watching this video!
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North Cascades National Park | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
North Cascades National Park
00:03:05 1 Human history
00:03:14 1.1 Paleoindians and Native Americans
00:07:10 1.2 Anglo-European Exploration
00:11:20 1.3 Mining, logging and dam construction
00:14:25 1.4 Establishing the National Park
00:17:14 2 Park management
00:19:34 2.1 Access
00:21:08 3 Geography
00:23:24 3.1 Geology
00:25:32 3.2 Mountains
00:27:53 3.3 Water features
00:29:42 3.4 Glaciers
00:33:12 4 Ecology
00:33:40 4.1 Flora
00:37:27 4.2 Fauna
00:41:27 4.3 Fire
00:43:57 4.4 Climate
00:46:37 4.5 Air and water quality
00:48:18 5 Attractions
00:49:11 5.1 Camping, hiking and bicycling
00:51:17 5.2 Mountaineering
00:52:49 6 See also
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SUMMARY
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North Cascades National Park is an American national park in the state of Washington. At more than 500,000 acres (200,000 ha), North Cascades National Park is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the North Cascades National Park Complex. North Cascades National Park consists of a northern and southern section, bisected by the Skagit River that flows through Ross Lake National Recreation Area. Lake Chelan National Recreation Area lies on the southern border of the south unit of the park. In addition to the two national recreation areas, other protected lands including several national forests and wilderness areas, as well as Canadian provincial parks in British Columbia, nearly surround the park. North Cascades National Park features the rugged mountain peaks of the North Cascades Range, the most expansive glacial system in the contiguous United States, the headwaters of numerous waterways, and vast forests with the highest degree of flora biodiversity of any American national park.
The region was first settled by Paleo-Indian Native Americans; by the time European American explorers arrived it was inhabited by Skagit tribes. By the early 19th century, the region was visited by fur trappers and several British and American companies vied for control over the fur trade. After the international boundary between Canada and the United States was set at the 49th parallel in 1846, explorers came to chart potential routes through the mountains for roads and railroads. Limited mining and logging occurred from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. The first significant human impact in the region occurred in the 1920s, when several dams were built in the Skagit River valley to generate hydroelectric power. Environmentalists then campaigned to preserve the remaining wilderness, culminating on October 2, 1968, with the designation of North Cascades National Park.
Heavy snows and a high risk of avalanches due to the steep terrain, especially on the western slopes, severely limit visitation in the winter. Most access to the park is from State Route 20, which follows the Skagit River, though even this road is closed for months at a time in the winter. Most of the plant and animal species native to the park region are still found there, though climate change and pollutants from industrialized regions to the west pose risks to the environment. The park has one of the earliest and longest lasting research programs dedicated to studying climate change, primarily through examining the effects of glacial retreat.
North Cascades National Park is almost entirely protected as wilderness, and so the park has few structures, roads or other improvements. Visitors wishing to drive to a campground must do so in the adjacent national forests or national recreation areas. Camping inside the park requires hiking in by trail, horseback or boat, and camping is regulated by a permit system to ensure the wilderness is not over-exploited. Mountaineering is popular in the park and only unobtrusive clean climbing is allowed.