Besides the valley floor trails accessible from our doorstep, the Basecamp is minutes away from 100's of miles of trails that deliver you through wilderness valleys, rolling front country, and the high mountains of the North Cascades. Go north to Harts Pass, the highest road in Washington State with alpine trailheads into the Pasayten Wilderness, south and west to the Washington Pass trailheads, or east to the open Methow Valley hillsides near Winthrop. Proprietors Kim and Steve can give you suggestions on rolling scenic day hikes or rigorous alpine scrambles.

Mazama and the Upper Methow Valley offer miles of trails leading to lakes, waterfalls, wildflowers and wildlife. The North Cascades Basecamp has mountain bikes for guests to use to ride the Community Trail, tour to a cool river spot, or to stop by the Mazama Store for lunch and a cold drink. Or bring your own mountain bike to ride for miles on the mountain trails in the surrounding area.

The wetlands, cedar forest, ponderosa pine woodland, cottonwood galleries, and alder/birch groves on the 25 acre Basecamp property are magnets for a diversity of wildlife. The Basecamp is stop #40 on Washington Audubon's Cascade Loop of The Great Washington State Birding Trail map, as well as a Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary certified by the National Wildlife Federation. Trails lead throughout our property, allowing access for birders and wildlife enthusiasts of all ages. See our wildlife checklist of wildlife observed at the Basecamp. Private naturalist tours are available- ask the Basecamp staff for more information.

The North Cascades Basecamp is located across the road from Goat Wall, one of the top climbing destinations in Washington State, and a short walk from Fun Rock climbing area. A quick trip up State Highway 20 takes you to Liberty Bell and the Early Winters Spires. Local guides are available at North Cascades Mountain Guides.

Birdwatching 2

When the bell rings I insist they drop whatever it is we have been doing and proceed quickly to the next work station. They must turn on and off like a light switch…the lesson of bells is that no work is worth finishing, so why care too deeply about anything? Years of bells will condition all but the strongest to a world that can no longer offer important work to do. Bells are the secret logic of school time; their logic is inexorable. Bells destroy the past and future, rendering every interval the same as any other…bells inoculate each undertaking with indifference. (p. 6)
These days SMS messages, alerts, email arrive every moment on our phones, in our inboxes. We've become so acclimatized to interruption we invite it into our lives and don't see how it trivializes everything we do.
…Reading, writing and arithmetic only take about one hundred hours to transmit as long as the audience is eager and willing to learn. The trick is to wait until someone asks and then move fast while the mood is on. (p. 12)