This is a very popular trail, entertaining hundreds of visitors on any given summery day.  In spite of this it is a wonderful trail to outstanding mountain views, and the first portion of trail on longer trips through the pass and on to Stehekin and points eastward.  Whether you day hike, overnight, or go for multiple days, Cascade Pass is a great place to begin. The trail starts with 35 switchbacks that begin at the parking lot and don’t end until you are nearly 2000 feet higher and 2.5 miles from your car.  The trail climbs through an ancient old growth forest and is well graded in spite of the elevation gained.  Once the last switchback is gained the trail cuts across the hillside and opens into a meadow, traverses a large field of broken talus, then at 3.5 miles suddenly emerges upon Cascade Pass.
     The view from the top is a fabulous vista of rugged mountain scenery.  At the Pass the trail has two branches.  The one to the left leads up and over Sahale Arm, (Sahale, pron. sounds like holly), a steep, demanding climb high to the toe of Sahale Glacier on the flank of Boston Peak.  The trip to Sahale, while energetic, is vastly rewarding.  Campsites are available at Sahale Glacier, and what a place to camp!  Imagine an unobstructed view of the night sky with no lights from anywhere to fade the stars’ brilliance.  Some campers then summit Boston Peak from high camp at Sahale. The other branch trail drops into the basin and continues past several lovely campsites all the way to Stehekin on Lake Chelan.
     This is a great trail with many possibilities!  To get there from Seattle, head north on I-5 to exit 230, SR 20.  Take 20 east through Burlington, Sedro-Woolley, and to the town of Marblemount, about 35 miles east of I-5.  Turn right at the bridge over the Skagit River and drive FS 15 up the Cascade River all the way to the end, about 23 miles.