The North Cascades Highway: A Roadside Guide

by Jack McLeod

Each year thousands of drivers travel Washington State's breathtakingly beautiful North Cascades Highway (State Route 20), observing the region's alpine flora and fauna and its dramatic geologic features. The North Cascades Highway, an illustrated natural history guide, helps travelers and readers to appreciate the deeper beauty behind the landscape.

Organized as a series of stops at eye-catching sites along eighty miles of the highway, The North Cascades Highway reveals the geological story of each location. Plate tectonics, rock formation, erosion, and glaciation are explored to show how the features of the North Cascades landscape came into being as they exist today. Human history is also included, as the book describes how miners, climbers, and poets have been inspired by the geology and terrain of the North Cascades.

For travelers on the road, the easy-to-use guidebook format includes mileage, parking information, and detailed maps. Stunning color photographs allow armchair travelers to enjoy the journey as well. Appendices provide detailed information on geologic time, rock types, glaciers, and the geologists who have decoded stories hidden in rock and ice.

The North Cascades Highway provides a unique experience of a striking landscape that is also a rich, interwoven system of living things, climate, and geology.

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Genres: Travel, Nature

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Todd Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an illustrated natural history guide to help learn about the landscape that you drive through on Washington State Highway 20 through the North Cascades.

It is organized as a series of stops along eighty miles of the highway. It reveals the geological story including plate tectonics, rock formation, erosion, and glaciation.

Human history is also included with reflections on miners, climbers, and poets that have found this landscape inspiring.

It is an easy-to-use guidebook that includes mileage, parking information, and detailed maps.

There are also color photographs and appendices on geologic time, rock types, glaciers, and geologists decoded this area.

I will use this book as a guide when I explore it during our time here.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this last summer when we were fortunate enough to once again drive this highway. Since much of this summer is likely to limit distant travel it was a great time to pick up this book. This is not a traveler or recreation guidebook As much as a naturalist explanation of the geological and botanical history. The greatest asset is that the author is a high school physical, earth, and environmental science teach capable of relating technical information so that the reader gets the message without brain damage. Photos illustrate the text.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs, in-depth geological explanations and some history of the North Cascades Highway. An indispensable guide to finding out which peaks you are looking at once you are on the North Cascades Highway. But, it offers not one even map of how to get there or where to find accommodations if this is your destination.

[Sharron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, which is basic enough to be understood and appreciated by someone with only a casual interest in geology, would be a worthwhile text to have in hand as one travels the North Cascades Highway. Mr. McLeod's excellent photographs are an added plus as they include plants and animals as well as rock formations.

[Skye · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little more focused on rocks than I would have liked, but with gorgeous pictures and interesting and varied essays on the areas the Highway goes through.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this perspective on presenting the North Cascades. More of a historical, geological series than guidebook. Nice addition to any guidebook reading for planning trips to the area.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short book that covers traveling the North Cascades Highway and its Roadside geology in a very limited fashion. Lots of pretty pictures.