North Cascades Institute - Connecting people, nature, and community since 1986

If you’ve ever driven through Washington’s North Cascades on a sunny summer day, chances are you’ve had the same thought as just about everyone else:

“Is the water really that color?”

Jul 16, 2026Special Guest

After logging threatened their land, the Tla-o-qui-aht of Vancouver Island protected their forests—and themselves—by creating one of the world’s first indigenous-run parks. MEARES ISLAND, IN THE SOUTHWESTERN …
Read More of Guardians of Life: Vancouver Island Rebuilding Indigenous Sovereignty

Jul 10, 2026Special Guest

My new book, The Earth Said Remember Me: How to Revive Our Memories and Restore the Planet, centers on the ways in which ordinary forgetting is an …
Read More of “The Earth Said Remember Me” by Jason Dove Mark

Jul 6, 2026Marissa Bluestein

Summer is one of the busiest times of year in the North Cascades. As snow melts from higher elevations and more trails become accessible, hikers, backpackers, climbers, …
Read More of Leave No Trace in the North Cascades: Protecting a Wild Place During Peak Adventure Season

Jun 24, 2026North Cascades Institute

Before diving into the exciting learning adventures we have planned for this summer, join our Field Programs team Emily Schauble and Shelby Gresch on a photographic review …
Read More of Spring 2026 Field Programs Highlights

Jun 15, 2026North Cascades Institute

This Spring, Mountain School welcomed hundreds of students from across the region into the forests, watersheds, and communities of the North Cascades. Throughout the season, students hiked …
Read More of Spring 2026 Mountain School Highlights

Jun 5, 2026Marissa Bluestein

In Search of Waterfalls, Lush Forests, and Quiet Trails Early spring in the North Cascades is a time of transition. Snow still covers the high peaks, but …
Read More of From the Trail: Spring Hiking in the North Cascades

May 18, 2026North Cascades Institute

For forty years, the North Cascades Institute has believed transformation happens outdoors—in mossy forests, along singing rivers, under open skies. This spring, we’re honoring those roots. This …
Read More of Tom Fleischner with Saul Weisberg 40th anniversary events this week

May 14, 2026Marissa Bluestein

Every spring, the skies above the North Cascades come alive with one of nature’s greatest hidden spectacles: bird migration. While hikers and wildflower lovers explore the trails …
Read More of The Secret Skyway: Spring Bird Migration in the North Cascades

Apr 28, 2026Special Guest

The heart of my new book Astonished By Beauty: A Field Guide to the Practice of Paying Attention consists of two main sections. The first, “A Geography …
Read More of “Crossing the Threshold” with Tom Fleischner

Why North Cascades Rivers Glow Turquoise Every Summer (And Why Diablo Lake Is So Iconic)

Guardians of Life: Vancouver Island Rebuilding Indigenous Sovereignty

“The Earth Said Remember Me” by Jason Dove Mark

Leave No Trace in the North Cascades: Protecting a Wild Place During Peak Adventure Season

Spring 2026 Field Programs Highlights

Spring 2026 Mountain School Highlights

From the Trail: Spring Hiking in the North Cascades

Tom Fleischner with Saul Weisberg 40th anniversary events this week

The Secret Skyway: Spring Bird Migration in the North Cascades

“Crossing the Threshold” with Tom Fleischner

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