shout : into : the : wilderness
North Cascades
National Park
Sahale
Glacier
trail details
Type of Trip: Day Hike Out & Back
Where: North Cascades National Park
Permits Required: No
Miles: 11.8mi
Net Elevation Change: 4114 ft
Trailhead: Cascade Pass
CalTopo: https://caltopo.com/m/0KA51TV
Description: Trail leads up to Sahale Glacier via Cascade Pass
logistics & itinerary
Wilderness Area : North Cascades National Park
When to apply? No permit required
Permit Style: None
Permit Application: None
When did we do this hike? July 2026
Transportation: We parked at the trailhead
Water: Not much water availability unless you take a long detour to one of the lakes. A few small streams before Cascade pass
Leave-No-Trace: Follow Leave No Trace principles. Carry out all trash. Do not burn or bury toilet paper or trash. No fires.
Flora Considerations: None.
Fauna Considerations: Mountain goats could be found everywhere upwards of Cascade Pass. We also saw black bear, marmots, and a variety of birds.
Trail Specific Considerations: Temperatures and weather can range drastically in this area depending on the time of year. Once you get above the treeline you have full exposure. This trail tops out just under 8,000 ft altitude. Understand the symptoms of altitude sickness and how to deal with it. Temperatures can get to be below freezing. The trail can have snow or ice on it depending on the time of the year. We crossed several snow sections in July. The trail gets pretty steep and rough as you approach the glacier camp. Like any wilderness trip, you accept a certain amount of risk when going on your hike. You are responsible for assessing how comfortable you feel with that risk and understanding your own physical abilities.
Don't want to do a long day hike? You can also backpack and stay over at Sahale Glacier Camp however you'll need a permit to do so.
When to Apply? Backpacking permit lottery opens around March of each year. If you're unable to get a permit via the lottery you can try for unclaimed permits in April, 2 day ahead online reservations, or day before walk-up permits.
Permit Style: Lottery on Recreation.gov. Backpacking zones need to be reserved individually
Permit Application: Recreation.gov
Real Time Permit Availability
#North Cascades #Washington #Mountains #Glacier