Ultimate Guide for a North Cascades National Park Elopement
Have you ever pictured yourself getting married against a backdrop of rich green forest and towering mountains? Just you and your partner, maybe a couple of close friends, and nothing but the serenity of nature surrounding you. A cool mountain breeze, wind in the wildflowers, and a peaceful lake nearby. Sounds like a fairytale, doesn’t it? That fairytale is reality with a North Cascades National Park elopement. This park in northeastern Washington state is known as the North American Alps. The Switzerland-esque vibes are unmatched and you don’t even have to leave the country!
I’ve captured couples in this park and can personally testify that it is a STUNNING spot for an elopement. If you’re considering an elopement here, I can help you find all of the best spots in the park for photos, food, activities and more. Read on for my ultimate guide to eloping in the North Cascades!
About the park
North Cascades National Park is located about 3 hours east of Seattle. There are over 300 glaciers packed into this secluded park, which is more than any US park outside of Alaska! It’s not common to find US mountains that are snow-capped all year long, but North Cascades has it. Highway 20 winds through the center of the park, separating the north unit from the south unit. It’s a dreamy setting of vibrant blue lakes, stark white snow on rocky peaks, flowering meadows, lush greenery and wooded slopes. One of the best parts about this park is how underrated it is! It’s the 2nd least visited national park in the contiguous US, which means privacy and seclusion if you choose a North Cascades National Park elopement.
Because of the alpine climate in this area, many of the roads are seasonal and close for winter conditions. The National Parks Foundation recommends visiting this park between mid-June and late-September as the weather warms up, the plants begin to flower and the trails clear of snow and slush. I went in September and it was perfect because the busy summer season was ending and most of the crowds had left, but the weather was still very nice!
Best locations for a North Cascades elopement
Narrowing down a spot to hold your ceremony is one of the hardest parts about eloping. Luckily, I’m here to help! I absolutely love exploring this area and these are some of the most epic spots I’ve found for a North Cascades National Park elopement.
Diablo Lake
Diablo Lake’s turquoise blue waters are some of the most photogenic in the whole park! How are they even real?! It gets its color from glaciers grinding surrounding rocks into a fine powder called glacial flour. This area is accessible earlier in the year when many trails aren’t accessible due to snowy conditions, so it’s a great choice for couples who want a winter wedding in the North Cascades. However, Diablo Lake’s electric blue waters are most vibrant during the annual glacial melt from July to September. And wow do they look good in photos!
There are 2 main ways to experience this iconic spot. The first option is the Diablo Lake Vista Point off Highway 20 on the south side of the lake. The second is to hike the out and back trail to the Ross Dam overlook or the suspension bridge on the north side of the lake. This trail begins at the North Cascade Institute’s Environmental Learning Center parking lot and is about 4 miles one way depending on how far down you hike. You can either go back the way you came OR take a ferry ride from the suspension bridge back to the trailhead! Since this lake’s waters are used for power in the area, Seattle City Light operates this ferry from June to October. A few photos on the water would be an amazing addition to your wedding photo album!
Washington Pass
If you’re looking for an easy spot for all your guests to get to, this is the one! The Washington Pass overlook is a level, paved trail right off the roadside that’s only ¼ mile long. It’s even wheelchair accessible so there are no limits on who can share in your wedding day with you! It provides sweeping views of the scenic road that winds beneath jagged granite mountaintops of the Liberty Bell Peaks. Technically this spot is in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, but it’s an iconic spot for a North Cascades National Park elopement.
Heather Meadows
Heather Meadows is another option if you want to focus your elopement on the eastern Cascades. It’s also off of Mount Baker Scenic Byway close to Artist Point. If the colorful scene of flowering heather and huckleberry against the rocky backdrop isn’t enough of a draw, the picturesque visitors center here should be! This historic structure was originally built in the 1940s as a ski warming hut, and it blends in perfectly with the surrounding alpine mountainside. There’s also a fairly easy 3 mile hike that connects this spot with Artist Point if you want to hit both!
Stehekin
If a remote lakeside mountain town sounds like your dream spot for an elopement, Stehekin is the place! There are no roads into this town – it’s only accessible by foot, boat or plane. Talk about secluded! It’s nestled along the headwaters of Lake Chelan in the Lake Chelan National Recreation area. You and your partner can spend your nights at the waterfront lodge and your days taking romantic boat rides, strolling a nearby orchard, or chasing waterfalls on the trails. It is the most idyllic little mountain getaway
Surrounding national forest land
The possibilities are honestly endless in this area. From mountain passes to old fire lookouts, there’s scenery everywhere. One of the perks of choosing a trail in the surrounding forest land like Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest is that many of these trails are dog-friendly! If you want to include your pup in your elopement, this is a great choice.
Considering an East Coast mountain wedding?
Where to stay for your North Cascades elopement
Because North Cascades National Park and the surrounding protected lands cover such a wide area, you have several options when it comes to where to stay. The most important thing to note is that you’ll want to book your lodging well in advance. In the tiny towns around the park, there are no Hiltons or Marriotts, only family-operated lodges and Airbnbs. This means fewer options for travelers in the area. Of course, being one of the least visited national parks helps with crowds, but it also means less options for lodging. This is particularly true during the park’s busiest summer months of July-September.
Bellingham
Bellingham is the place to stay if you don’t mind a drive to the park and you want to have easy access to restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops and the like. This city is situated along the Washington coastline and is loaded with arts and culture. Here, you’ll find plenty of farm to table restaurants, craft beverages and cozy coffee shops. I stayed here on my latest visit to North Cascades National Park so I can help you navigate this cute coastal town!
The Chrysalis Inn & Spa – Hilton Curio Collection
Hotel Leo – boutique hotel in an 1800s building
Beach front bungalow – where I stayed! Adorable Airbnb on the coast
Glacier
For more of a small town feel, find an Airbnb in Glacier, WA. This is the best place to stay if you’re opting for Artist Point or Heather Meadows for your North Cascades National Park elopement. The area is PACKED with one-of-a-kind cabins and luxury Airbnbs. You may even consider choosing an Airbnb as your elopement ceremony location! Here are a few of my faves:
Concrete + Marblemount
Concrete and Marblemount are two tiny mountain towns along Highway 20 in the heart of the park. They’re only about 20 minutes apart and provide great access to the park’s main attractions like Washington Pass and Diablo Lake, but as a heads up, there is not much in the area.
North Cascades Lodge at Stehekin
This is the lodge in the remote town we talked about earlier! If you want to hold your elopement here, I say make this your home base and really immerse yourself in this unique mountain getaway.
Ross Lake
Similar to the lodge at Stehekin, there’s a lodge along this lake close to Diablo Lake. However, you won’t find a full town infrastructure here like you will at Stehekin. It’s simply a lodge on the lake accessible by boat or shuttle. The rooms aren’t the fanciest inside but the uniform cabins circling the lakeshore look like something out of a storybook!
What to do in the North Cascades area
One of the best parts about eloping is making your wedding an experience rather than just a day. If you’re getting married somewhere beautiful, chances are you want to immerse yourself in the area while you’re there! And if you’re having a micro wedding or including family in your elopement, it’s always a great idea to provide them with optional activities to do when the travel to your wedding destination.
Food
What’s a great trip without great food to go along with it?! The area you choose to stay in will obviously impact where you eat, so I’ve organized these tasty finds by town.
Glacier
If you’re looking for a place with small town feel and a few good food spots, Glacier is the place to go.
Wake N’ Bakery – organic coffee in a quirky cabin-style building
North Fork Brewery – beer and pizza among a collection of vintage beer memorabilia
The Heliotrope – multicultural food inspired by world travel
Bellingham
As the largest city in the area, you’ll find the most restaurant options in this trendy town.
ANMLY – healthy bowls, smoothies and coffee
Rock and Rye Oyster House – pretty patio with fresh seafood
Culture Café – Pan Asian in a trendy atmosphere
Carnal – modern barbecue
Storia Cucina – Italian in a bright, trendy space
Activities
Hike – It’s a national park, obviously the best thing to do is to spend time in nature! Cascade Pass is a great intermediate 7 mile hike if you’re looking to experience other areas of the park we haven’t already mentioned.
Visit Stehekin – even if you aren’t staying here, it’s a great day trip! Make sure to stop by Stehekin Pastry Company and Buckner Orchard.
Willowbrook Manor English Tea House & Chamomile Farm – this is located towards Bellingham, but it’s a great day activity for you or your guests! You can attend high tea at this stunning manor, take a bike tour of the surrounding area or even get your hands dirty planting chamomile that will be harvested for tea.
Ideas for your North Cascades elopement
The fun thing about elopements is there are no rules – your wedding gets to be as unique as you are! Here are a few fun ideas from my time helping couples elope:
Include a map in your invitation suite – if you’re having guests, this can be a great way to help your friends and family get to know the area, and there are plenty of talented artists out there who can create custom maps for your day! It’s also a great keepsake to frame for your home.
Have “just married” signs made for your backpacks - these signs from Etsy make for the perfect photos of you and your partner hiking to your ceremony spot
Read letters from family members who aren’t in attendance, or letters you’ve written to each other.
Include your dog – if you choose a trail that’s dog-friendly in the park, I highly recommend involving your pets in your special day! I’m a dog mom of 2 myself so I LOVE it when couples bring their pups along for photos!
Pack a picnic to relax and enjoy the views. No need to rush today.
Have The Slow Cult style your North Cascades elopement – while I’m here to capture memories of your epic mountain elopement, The Slow Cult is absolutely incredible for bringing your vision of it to life! She’s a florist and elopement stylist so she can design the day in a way that encapsulates you and your partner’s love.
Permits for your North Cascades National Park elopement
One of the logistics I help my eloping couples with is permitting! It can be confusing to know what you need in order to get married in a national park. Having an experienced elopement photographer on your side makes this step easy.
National Park Pass
Because a main highway runs through the park, there are actually no entrance fees to get into this national park! Usually, it’s $80 for a yearly pass that gets you into all the national parks. This is definitely a unique park for that reason, so it makes it easy to bring guests along since they won’t have to pay per car or per person entrance fees. Keep in mind some of the other areas outside of the parks limits such as the areas around Mount Baker have their own park fees between $5-20 since they belong to other protected lands.
Special Use Permit
One fee you will need to pay is for a special use permit. You need this anytime you plan on getting married in a national park. You’ll need to pay $50 to submit a non-refundable special use permit application. Then, the National Park Service sends back a permit for you to sign in order to legally get married in the park! Always better to do it sooner rather than later.
Marriage License
No wedding is complete without a marriage license. In Washington, they cost $69 and are non-refundable. There is a 3-day waiting period to get your license and they’re valid for 60 days. It doesn’t matter what county you obtain your license in, or where you return it to, as long as it is in Washington! You can also return your license by mail.
Things to note as you plan your adventure elopement
Prepare for all weather situations – anytime you are getting married outdoors, you have to keep weather in mind. Weather can be especially finicky in the mountains, so pack layers and we’ll have a backup plan in case extreme weather keeps us from a ceremony at your original planned location.
Adhere to Leave No Trace principles – the best way to keep parklands pure for you and others to enjoy is to abide by LNT! I’m a certified LNT Aware Photographer so when you work with me, you know you’re being kind to our parklands. I recommend brushing up on LNT before you leave for your elopement.
Let me help you elope in the North Cascades!
If all of this sounds absolutely dreamy to you too, then you are the type of couple I LOVE to work with! I would be thrilled to help give you a magical wedding day in the North American Alps. Pack up those hiking boots, give me a call, and I’ll see you in the North Cascades!
