The North Cascades Highway vs. Going-to-the-Sun Road: a controversial take on scenic drives

Everyone raves about the engineering marvel of Glacier's Going-to-the-Sun Road, but I found the North Cascades Highway route (WA-20) to be a far more profound experience. The former felt like a curated tour with guardrails, while the latter offered raw, unfiltered wilderness that actually made me feel insignificant in the best way. My passenger spent the entire drive on the North Cascades route in stunned silence, whereas on Going-to-the-Sun we were just stuck behind a parade of rental RVs. I know this is heresy, but which scenic park artery do you genuinely prefer for a transformative drive?

3 comments

3 Comments

xenarobinson9d ago

Wait, you had a passenger who was actually speechless? That never happens. My partner just complains about the lack of cell service. But seriously, the raw exposure on WA-20 is brutal and beautiful, those sheer drops with no guardrail at Rainy Pass versus the safe, paved feeling of Going-to-the-Sun. One feels like you're intruding on the landscape, the other like you're on a theme park ride. I get it.

rose4299d ago

Watch how we turn raw beauty into managed attractions (and lose the awe in the process).

blakeharris8d ago

Did you ever firmly believe Going-to-the-Sun was the ultimate mountain drive until you tried the North Cascades route? I was right there, always praising its crafted vistas as the best in the park system. After a trip on WA-20 last fall, though, my perspective shifted entirely. That raw, unmediated exposure to the wilderness, where you feel the land's scale without the safety cues, offered a humility that the managed experience never could. Your mileage may vary, but for me, that silent passenger moment rings true because the drive commands a reverence beyond postcard views. Now I see the curated road as impressive, yet it lacks the profound edge that makes a journey truly transformative.