Campground · North Cascades National Park
Boat-in campsites with a gateway to Big Beaver Valley.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
North Cascades Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for North Cascades National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Big Beaver Boat Camp is a backcountry camp on Ross Lake’s west shore, with seven sites, a group site, a boat dock and access to Big Beaver Trail. It’s an overnight base for the valley, not a roadside stop.
It is 4.6 lake miles from Ross Dam and 17.4 from Hozomeen. All Ross Lake boat-in camps require a backcountry permit. Ross Lake Resort offers water-taxi service to the landing; a walk-in approach starts at Ross Dam, crosses the dam and follows the west shore. Ross Lake can be windy, so allow for conditions on the boat leg.
After Big Beaver Creek’s steel bridge, a short spur reaches the stock and boat camps while Big Beaver Trail continues into wetlands and active beaver ponds. About three miles above the bridge is an ancient redcedar stand; NPS says some trees are over 15 feet across and around 1,000 years old. Big Beaver’s marshland was designated a Research Natural Area in 1991.
Wildlife
101 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
70 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
20 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
77 sightingsSooty GrouseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
23 sightingsWhite-tailed PtarmiganMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
75 sightingsWestern ToadMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across North Cascades. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyHappy Creek Forest Walk0.3 mi · 15 min · 3.2 mi awayA short boardwalk loop beside Happy Creek and old-growth trees.
ModerateHappy Creek Falls Trail2.6 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.2 mi awayOld sawmill relics and stepped falls reward a steep creekside climb.
ModerateRoss Dam Trail2.5 mi · 2 hr · 3.3 mi awayWalk through forest to Ross Dam, then climb back to SR 20.
ChallengingBig Beaver Trail24.6 mi · 18 hr · 3.3 mi awayA long valley traverse past ancient cedars and beaver marshes.
EasyDeer Creek Loop0.3 mi · 15 min · 4.7 mi awayA quarter-mile loop winds beside Deer Creek Shelter.
ModerateDiablo Lake Trail7.6 mi · 4.5 hr · 4.7 mi awayA long forest climb earns a high bridge over Diablo Lake
ModerateSourdough Creek Trail3.5 mi · 2.8 hr · 4.7 mi awayA forest path to Sourdough Creek Falls, with a rocky finish.
Campground · 1.1 mi awayMcMillan CampA three-site boat-in camp that takes planning to reach.
Campground · 1.3 mi awaySpencer’s CampTwo Ross Lake sites and a dock for a self-sufficient night.
Campground · 1.5 mi awayRoland Point CampA remote boat-in camp tucked into a Ross Lake cove.
Campground · 1.5 mi awayMay Creek Boat CampA single boat-in site with three-way views from a low bluff.
Campground · 1.9 mi awayRainbow Point CampThree lakeside tent sites, reached by boat or trail.
Campground · 2.1 mi awayCougar Island CampTwo island campsites for a self-sufficient night on Ross Lake.
Lodging · 2.5 mi awayRoss Lake ResortA floating Ross Lake resort reached by boat or a mile-long hike.
Campground · 2.5 mi awayGreen Point CampA small boat-in camp for a quiet Ross Lake night.Parkwolf’s North Cascades ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
