Diablo Lake extends around the corner here. My goal is to make it all the way down to that curve.
Last week we went into the mountains of North Cascades National Park on an amazing hike.
Today we check out Diablo Lake from above and by paddleboard. We finished our day with
a short hike to Ross Dam and later drove over Diablo Dam as the sun was setting.
So today we are at Diablo Lake, Washington. This is part of the North Cascades National
Park Complex, and right behind us is Diablo Lake. And what makes this lake
so striking is the beautiful bright blue color. And we're already seeing how amazing that looks
from here. As the sun has gotten higher in the sky it is getting more and more blue,
and today we're going to take you out on the water on our paddle board. First thing in the
morning we parked and headed down to the Thunder Knob Trailhead beach where you can easily launch
your own kayak or paddleboard. So my goal today is to make it down to about where you can see
because that is where Diablo Lake makes a bend and continues. In fact the main part of the lake is
around the corner there. So I'm going to see how far I can make it, but I might not even need to
because it's just so beautiful right here. Another item of note is that up on the ridge here is the
Diablo Lake Overlook. So you can drive with your car up up up, pull over and get an amazing view
from the top, which we're also going to show you because I've seen some pictures, it looks amazing.
It is an absolutely beautiful day, blue skies, sunshine, super comfortable, not too hot.
The water is pretty frigid though, but there are gorgeous views all around.
I mean in North Cascades National Park, any direction you look, it's beautiful.
I have come pretty far. I've made it through the boat passage. And then
out here it opens up the larger portion of Diablo Lake. I think I saw a ferry go by,
which is pretty neat. I guess those are running to go to some of the more remote areas of the park.
This color is unreal. Christine is now out of sight on the paddle board. We're just hanging out
here having some snacks. I gotta say this might be one of the easiest most laid-back adventures we've
had yet, definitely a lot easier than that hike we did the other day. So I've come around the bend,
and I've now come all the way up this arm of Diablo Lake and can look down to the dam.
It's pretty amazing you can see all the way to the dam from here.
Now that I've seen the rest of this beautiful lake, it is my turnaround point.
I'm gonna head back so Kevin can have a turn too. And maybe the kids
will want to hop on for a little bit. See you back at the shore.
So that was really great. I mean as you can see the colors from the shore here have only gotten
better. You saw the colors on the water with me. My goal was to get to the bend
in the lake here and I did make it all the way
through the barrier around the corner so that was amazing. I mean that rivaled being on the river
in the Tetons. The color here is even better. So you should come here, spend the day at the beach,
enjoy it. Kevin's gonna take Nathan out on the water for a little bit maybe Klara if she wants.
And then we're gonna go check out Diablo Dam and Ross Dam from the top. So stick around.
Paddling around on this lake like this is just, I'm not even sure how to describe it, it's just
incredible being out in the middle of it with all this beautiful turquoise color all around you.
We made it through this little boat passage area. I'll have to ask Christine, but I think it's quite
a bit windier now than when she was out. The water is definitely a little rougher out here, and uh
I don't think I'm going to go much further than this. This was kind of the goal anyway,
but honestly the view going back the other way is actually better because you have these huge rugged
peaks behind you that you can't see when you're coming out. And full disclosure, when I'm standing
up and I try to look over my shoulder to look at the peaks I don't do so well with my balance. So
I haven't fallen in that's good, but I think this is it. We're going to turn around from here,
and I think the wind's going to give us a bit of a boost pushing us back to the beach.
What do you think Nathan. Good. Is this good? Uh huh! It's been a fun trip? Yeah!
Let's go home and go see Mama. Well and by home I mean to the shore.
After paddle boarding we relaxed, picnicked, and played on the beach until late in the afternoon.
After we packed everything back up again, we headed up to Diablo Lake Overlook to see the
lake from above. This is probably the most iconic viewpoint when driving through North
Cascades National Park, and it is just an easy pullout with parking right off the main road.
From here you can even see both the Diablo Dam as well as the Ross
Dam just a little further upstream. The Ross Dam trailhead is just another five
minutes east of the Diablo Lake Overlook. This short trail is surprisingly scenic.
It's also pretty steep. So be ready to climb a grade on the way back up.
Wow. This is really impressive. I did not expect it to be this cool.
I had read before we got down here that this was 540 feet tall.
The dam itself was completed in 1937, and I think this particular one is the tallest of
the ones on this river. It's just a mile and a half round trip down here and back up again,
and it is definitely worth seeing. This is really impressive. It'll be a tough slog on
the way up. but I think it's worth it. Yeah it's a little bit of a steep trail. But check that out.
I just turned around and realized the best view is behind us.
Our final stop of the day was a quick drive over Diablo Dam.
Seeing it in the evening with the lights on top was a really unique experience.
It has been such a nice full day here at Diablo Lake. We didn't actually expect to stay here all
day, but it's been so nice we just decided why not. It took me a lot longer than expected to
go out back, and then Kevin was on the water for a while too. And after just relaxing and letting the
kids play and enjoying this view, basically the whole day has gone by. So we hope you also enjoyed
the Diablo Lake Dam and the Ross Lake Dam that we showed you as well as the Diablo Lake Overlook up
there. Definitely one of the major things to do when you come to North Cascades National Park. See
you all next time. Bye. Bye. Stay tuned for part three of our North Cascades National Park series
where we check out the views from Washington Pass and do a few other short but memorable hikes.
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We're at Diablo Lake, Washington waiting for
a whole bunch of cars to go by and stop making a ton of noise.
These trucks are loud.
From the Dam Over... wait what's it called? Diablo Lake Overlook. Dam Overlook.
Do enough takes and you can get through anything. Yeah it's good.