North Cascades National Park

North Cascades National Park.
North Cascades National Park is a US national park in the state of Washington, established October 2, 1968. Covering more than 500,000 acres (200,000 ha), it features the rugged mountain peaks of the North Cascades Range, the most expansive glacial system in the contiguous United States, and vast forests with the highest degree of flora biodiversity of any US national park. It is bisected by the Skagit River, which flows through Ross Lake National Recreation Area. The region was first settled by Paleo-Indian Native Americans; when white explorers and fur trappers arrived, Skagit tribes lived there. In the 1920s several dams were built in the Skagit River valley to generate hydroelectric power. The park has one of the earliest and longest-lasting research programs dedicated to studying climate change, focusing on glacial retreat. With almost all of the park protected as wilderness, there are few structures, roads or other improvements. Heavy snows and a high risk of avalanches severely limit visitation in the winter.