The North Cascades Loop

THE NORTH CASCADES LOOP - HIGHWAY 20 AND HIGHWAY 2

Departure time: Sunrise or as early as possible to beat traffic on Highway 20.

Car Checklist:

• CHECK THE FORECAST FOR ROAD CLOSURES ON HIGHWAY 20

• Xpel or Stek protection

• Tire Patch Kit and Compressor

Recommended Items:

• Extra Water and Small Cooler

• A handheld, programmed radio and know how to use it

Dan's Notes:

This is probably the longest single-day drive I recommend as it really does take a lot out of you, but it’s worth it. This is also easily one of our favorite group drives, but pick your group wisely. People often roll their eyes and just assume I’m old when I advise caution on drives, but Highway 20 bites hard when you get it wrong. One time I did this drive and some boulders had recently fallen onto the highway. And when I say boulders, I mean about half the size of my car; the kind that don’t move when you hit them. It’s also fairly busy in the summer months, so be wary of traffic. There are a lot of opportunities to pass here, but you don’t want that psycho in your group who tries to keep up and narrowly misses oncoming traffic on a drive like this. I call that out because there always seems to be some asshat on this drive. Anyway, onto the fun!

The Drive:

We typically meet up at the local Arlington Safeway where gas is somewhat affordable and it’s really the last good stop before heading out Highway 530 to Darrington. This highway in itself is a lot of fun, but often crowded so don’t get too frustrated if you get stuck behind someone. It happens a lot here and there’s not too many passing zones, but enough to make it worth it. Just relax and enjoy the view. There’s a great little Kangaroo Farm (yes, you read that right) on the way out of town from Arlington on 530, but that’s a different trip. Keep going north until you hit Darrington and stop here for a good bathroom break if needed. It’s the last sign of good civilization until Winthrop. There’s a gas station on the corner you can’t miss if you need anything.

From there hit the road to Rockport and Marblemount, and I mention it because you should take it easy rolling into Marblemount especially since it’s well known for being a popular speed trap and it's also your last stop for gas before Winthrop if you have someone with a small tank that needs to top off. The next town, Newhalem, is a good optional spot to stop and get a few pics in front of the old train and there’s a cool little one lane bridge in front of Ladder Creek falls there you can sometimes drive on when it’s open.

The next stop is the easiest to miss, but the most scenic one on the trip - the Diablo Dam. This is an absolutely beautiful stop, but parking here is limited so you'll have to crowd together in a large group. DO NOT BLOCK THE ROAD OR STOP ON THE DAM. If you want that awesome shot of everyone together on the dam then have a driver's meeting across the dam or at the visitor center, get everyone lined up and roll out all at once. Tell everyone to stay in their car and get your photographer ready and waiting on the dam. As you head back across the dam, stop just before the big yellow metal clamps (you'll know what I mean) and line everyone up there. If you have a chase car, position them on the other side to stop traffic for just a minute. The forest rangers will get mad at you if you block traffic for more than a minute (ask me how I know!). 

Your best stop on the drive for a big view is the famous Diablo Lake Vista Point (see below). When you see the lake take it easy going up the hill as it’s on a turn and you’ll definitely want to stop here. The lake is a gorgeous green that’s truly a sight to behold.

When you’re ready get back on the road and continue you on to Winthrop. Take it easy, again, coming into Winthrop. Even 5-10 miles out the road straightens and makes a tempting high-speed passing zone, but you’ll likely have police waiting for you. Traffic is also common going into Winthrop so you’ll want to regain some patience here. There are some fun little shops and restaurants, but save your appetite for the next stop. The road out to Sun Mountain Lodge is a ton of fun even at “normal” speeds so have fun, but watch out for fisherman and tourists coming off the side roads. Take a look at the map before hand so you’re familiar with the road and you’ll be fine and have fun. The end of the road is the Sun Mountain Lodge where you’ll have amazing food and views and you may even want to stay the night. It’s a seriously beautiful destination and well worth the price to stay.

As you leave Winthrop you’ll go through the little town of Twisp, but instead of heading south on Highway 153, take a little detour for a minute and get on the Twisp Carlton road for some fun. This curvy little road isn’t very busy and won’t cost you any time and you’re guaranteed to have more fun unless your Maserati blows a heater hose.

Once you get back on 153 you can stop in Pateros for fuel and food if you need to or keep going onto Chelan for a bite at Stormy Mountain Brewing and Public House or any of the many wineries here. I highly recommend Hard Row to Hoe for fun, photos, and good wine. If you’re feeling sleepy it’s a great place to stop for the night and take a dip in the glacier fed blue water. If anything, just go look at the lake. Chelan is the 3rd deepest lake in the US at 1,500 feet and has some of the cleanest water in the world.

It’s drivers choice on which side of the river you want to go on, but I prefer the east side when I’m heading south since it’s a better view of the river and hills. There’s a cool tunnel on the west side though. Anyway, keep going and then hit up Highway 2 into Leavenworth and have a bit at Munchen Haus, the best Brats in town.  

If you’re still feeling ready to party after all that driving then hit up 97 South after dinner. I’ll cover it more in “The Loop” but I LOVE this section of 97 or Blewett Pass as it’s often called. Watch out for deer in the evening here and I seriously mean it. I’ve almost hit several on this highway and they are no joke.

From Leavenworth keep heading West on 2, but be patient here. Drivers on this road are a special kind of stupid to the point of making most of us homicidal until the passing zones. Just go into it expecting to get stuck, be patient, and wait until the passing zones. I’ve seen the risky passes here go bad before and when it goes bad, it goes really bad. Be patient.

Highway 2 is a blast, but wait, there’s more! Instead of going straight through Monroe, take the lesser known Ben Howard Road to 203 and go into Duvall for a pint at the tavern before heading home.

The Stress Reliever

Dan’s C7 Z06, Jeff Miller’s 964 RS America, and John Zuberek’s E30 M3 on the bridge just outside of Concrete, WA.

MAP: THE STRESS RELIEVER

Departure Time: As usual, earlier is better, but during the week you'll find most of this route relatively empty and not even that busy on weekends either. 

Car Checklist: 

• Good Tires and Brakes

• Tire Patch Kit and Compressor

• Radios for a group drive

Dan's Notes (Update April, 2020):

Back in high school, I used to skip class and drive this route to clear my head and sometimes I still do. The Finn Settlement Road is slightly more populated now and Highway 9 and 530 are a bit busier, but for the most part these roads covering north Snohomish and parts of Skagit County have remained unchanged and relatively empty. 

This quick 100 mile drive can be relatively easily enjoyed in any car in good condition, but the weather conditions around Concrete and Darrington can vary greatly from those in Arlington so check the weather before you leave. Other than that, the only thing to consider is you'll lose cell coverage for about half of this drive, which to me is a plus. 

The Drive:

The Arlington Safeway Fuel Stop is a good start for this and the best place to fill up for this route. Note that the Chevron is in front, by the McDonald’s, and the Safeway fuel stop is in back. There are plenty of other places to stop on this drive and it's not very long, so don't worry if you decide you want a Red Bull 50 miles in. 

As you head up 9 expect some mild traffic until you get through the map dot that is Bryant, WA. As soon as you leave Bryant the fun starts, but don't get carried away and miss the turn to Finn Settlement Road. It's not very well marked, but as soon as you cross the Pilchuck Creek Bridge you'll know you're almost right there. 

Finn Settlement/44th/Granstrom road is usually empty, but does have some logging operations further off the side roads so watch for trucks. There are several spots to pass, so be patient and don't crowd the locals (who always seem to be going 10-15 under the limit). This road has a lot of variety in turns, straights, and some minor elevation, but don't get so carried away that you have to jam on the brakes to make the tight turns at the end. Take a left at the “T” onto Lake Cavanaugh Road (a right will take you around Lake Cavanaugh), and you'll had back toward 9. There aren't many houses or people out here so you should be able to have some fun and not slow down too much for the curves. 

As you head north along 9 again take it easy through Big Lake and don't speed through town. There's not much up here but there is often a Sheriff and some occasional traffic leaving the Walker Valley ORV Park. You can stop at the Big Lake Bar and Grill for a decent lunch on your right if you're hungry. You'll take the left just after Clear Lake onto South Skagit Highway. This mostly forgotten stretch of old highway is in surprisingly good condition and usually quite empty thanks to Highway 20 taking almost all the traffic.  

A very important footnote here: If your car is very low, use caution past the Concrete Sauk Valley Road Cutoff. The road is in deceptively poor condition ahead, specifically past this point, and you will bottom out on the many dips in the concrete. My stock height Z06 and GTR were both perfectly fine, but a friend with a very low E30 M3 had to slow down to about 15 mph to finish the drive without damaging his car. You have to be very careful, but the road is still fun and worth the drive. If you need to, just get back on 20 at the cutoff shown on the map. This drive is still enjoyable even if you have to skip that section. 

Take the brief detour across Highway 20 into Concrete to get your photos with the famous Concrete towers. The words “Welcome to Concrete” were painted onto the towers for the 1993 Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio movie, “This Boys Life.”

From Concrete head back across to the South Skagit Highway/Sauk Valley Road and head east. As you leave the Sauk Valley Road you'll probably want to get some great photos on the one lane metal bridge, so it's a good place to stop and rest with little worry of traffic. As you get back on 530 you'll drop into Darrington (don't speed in Darrington) where you can take a break at the Mountain Loop Country Store before you head back toward Arlington. If you've got time you can stop by the Kangaroo Farm on your way back into town.