Visiting North Cascades National Park With Kids: Our Family Day Trip
We visited North Cascades National Park at the end of May while staying at Thousand Trails Grandy Creek in Concrete, Washington. The campground made a convenient home base for exploring the park, and we were roughly 40 minutes from North Cascades.
At the time of our visit, part of the main road through the park was still closed, so we weren’t able to explore as far into North Cascades as we would have liked. Visiting at the end of May in 2026 meant navigating some seasonal closures. Even with the road closure, though, we had a really beautiful day and got to see one of the places I was most excited about—Diablo Lake.
Thunder Knob Trail
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/thunder-knob-trail
The main hike we chose was Thunder Knob Trail, a 3.6-mile round-trip hike near Colonial Creek Campground. This was one of the longer hikes we had done as a family at the time, but it ended up being a really great choice for us. I’m glad we pushed ourselves here because we learned that our 4 year old was actually getting to the point where he could manage well even with this longer hike.
I would consider the trail easy to moderate. There is some elevation gain, but the climb felt gradual and manageable. All three of our kids completed the hike without a problem, and we were even able to bring Willie along with us. Finding a dog-friendly hike around a national park isn’t always easy, so being able to have him with us was a huge plus.
The trail was definitely busy, but I wouldn’t say it felt overcrowded. We passed quite a few other hikers, but we still had plenty of opportunities to enjoy the trail and the views.
One of the kids’ favorite parts was crossing a little wobbly suspension bridge along the way. Any time you add a bridge to a hike, it automatically makes it more exciting for them!
The real highlight, though, was reaching the beautiful views overlooking Diablo Lake. The color of the water surrounded by the mountains is incredible and absolutely worth the hike.
We brought one water pack for our family, which ended up being enough for us that day. The weather was mild and comfortable, and the trail wasn’t overly dry or hot during our late-May visit.
Colonial Creek and Diablo Lake
Because of the road closure during our visit, the Colonial Creek area was about as far as we could explore into the park.
There was quite a bit of parking in the area, but it was busy and the main parking area was full when we arrived. Colonial Creek North Campground also appeared to be pretty full, so we ended up parking across the road near the south campground.
After our hike, we spent some time down by Diablo Lake. The kids were able to explore the shoreline, take in the views, and put their feet in the water. It was a simple stop, but honestly one of my favorite parts of the day. After hiking several miles, it was nice to slow down and just enjoy being surrounded by the mountains and that beautiful blue-green water.
North Cascades Visitor Center
We also stopped at the visitor center so the kids could pick up their Junior Ranger books. This has become one of our favorite traditions as we travel to national parks, and it’s always a good way for the kids to learn a little more about the park while we’re exploring. We also always get our national park passports stamped and we pick up a magnet!
Was North Cascades Worth Visiting?
Absolutely.
Because of the seasonal road closure, I don’t feel like we got to experience everything North Cascades has to offer. This is definitely a park I would like to come back to when the entire road is open so we can explore farther into the park.
But even with limited access, our day was worth it.
Thunder Knob was a great family hike, we got beautiful views of Diablo Lake, Willie was able to join us, and the kids added another Junior Ranger experience to our travels.
North Cascades also felt different from some of the more famous national parks we’ve visited. It was beautiful and busy enough to feel lively, but it didn’t have the overwhelming crowds we’ve experienced at other parks. For our family, it was a really enjoyable introduction to one of Washington’s most beautiful areas.
If you’re visiting with kids and only have one day—especially if portions of the highway are still closed—I would absolutely recommend prioritizing the Diablo Lake and Colonial Creek area and hiking Thunder Knob Trail. It gave us a little bit of everything we love about visiting national parks: a family-friendly hike, mountain views, beautiful water, and plenty of time outside together.
