The idyllic beauty of the snowcapped and pine-covered Cascade Mountains actually conceals awesome volcanic power - as demonstrated by the 1980 explosion of Mount St Helens . But away from the truncated, rocky stump resulting from the blast, the Cascades offer mile upon mile of forested wilderness, stretching from Canada down to Oregon, traversed by a skein of beautiful trails - which, for all but a few summer months, you'll need snowshoes to follow. The most popular access point is Mount Rainier , set in its own national park some ninety miles southeast of Seattle, while the protected zone around Mount St Helens also rewards a visit for its eerie scenery. Further north, the North Cascades National Park demands more time; Hwy-20, the high mountain road that crosses the Cascades, is by far the most spectacular route to eastern Washington.

Cascade Mountains

• Cascade Mountains

Explore Cascade Mountains

• Mount Rainier National Park
• Mount St Helens
• North Cascades and the Cascade Loop

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