NC Backcountry Gear Checklist
A North Cascades backcountry permit covers camps along trail corridors, so the gear depends on the corridor: river forests on Thunder Creek, a dry ridge on Copper Ridge, and a long lakeshore trail on the Ross Lake east bank. What the hikers we read share is a canister for food, shoes for cold river fords, a plan for water on dry camps, and bags to carry out waste where there is no toilet. Their regrets are heavy packs on long days and a food hang that never worked.
What shapes your gear on North Cascades
- Where you camp
- Along trail corridors you may camp only in designated sites. In cross-country zones the park wants tents on snow, rock or bare ground, away from plants and water. Party limits are 12 including stock on trailed areas and 6 in other areas.
- Food storage
- The park wants food and scented items hung at least 12 feet up and 5 feet out from a limb, or kept in a canister or box.
- Thunder Creek
- A May 2025 hiker walked 20 miles out and back to Junction Camp, a dry, breezy ridge camp with a short walk to Fisher Creek for water. A July 2025 hiker stayed at McAllister, where 5 of 8 sites were taken on a Friday, and met a mother bear with cubs about 100 feet off the trail toward Tricouni.
From Washington Trails Association: Thunder Creek trip report, May 24, 2025 and Washington Trails Association: Thunder Creek trip report, July 18, 2025
- Copper Ridge loop
- The ridge camps can be dry. A 2022 group dropped packs at the Egg Lake junction and went down to filter water, then camped at Silesia, a camp with just two tent spots. The Chilliwack River ford they crossed was knee-deep and cold.
From Washington Trails Association: Copper Ridge Loop trip report, August 12, 2022
- Chilliwack River crossings
- In 2013 a writer found the ford waist-deep and used the aerial cable car, which carries two backpackers at a time. In August 2019 the cable car was closed for repair, so a hiker forded the river twice.
From North Cascades Institute blog and Washington Trails Association: Copper Ridge Loop, Whatcom Pass trip report, August 10, 2019
- Ross Lake east bank
- A June 2019 hiker learned at the ranger station that the boat-in camps on Ross Lake were closed to hikers, with unfinished vault toilets. The shoreline trail ran about 15 miles on her second day, and the one stream on the climb toward Desolation Camp was at about 3,800 feet.
From Washington Trails Association: East Bank Ross Lake, Desolation Peak trip report, June 15, 2019
What the agency requires on North Cascades
A bear canister, a food box, or rope for a hang
Keep food and anything scented 12 feet or more off the ground and 5 feet from any limb, or use a canister or box instead.
A stove
The park asks campers to use a stove instead of a fire. Where fires are allowed, use only existing rings and burn small, dead wood from the ground. No campfires at all in the cross-country zones.
A trowel, and a bag to carry out human waste
Where there is no toilet, dig a cathole in organic soil. Human waste from rock, snow or ice goes out with you, along with every piece of garbage. Trash is never burned.
A signed copy of your permit
Rangers in the field may ask to see the permit, so carry a signed copy.
What hikers carry on North Cascades
A bear canister
A May 2025 Thunder Creek hiker recommends canisters and says finding a proper hang would have been tough. A 2022 Copper Ridge hiker borrowed a canister from the ranger station when picking up the permit, and a 2019 Ross Lake hiker packed one on a three-day trip.
From Washington Trails Association: Thunder Creek trip report, May 24, 2025, Washington Trails Association: Copper Ridge Loop trip report, August 12, 2022 and Washington Trails Association: East Bank Ross Lake, Desolation Peak trip report, June 15, 2019
Sandals or water shoes for the river fords
The Chilliwack ford on Copper Ridge is cold and about knee-deep, and a 2022 hiker says sandals came in handy. Other hikers took off shoes and socks to cross.
From Washington Trails Association: Copper Ridge Loop trip report, August 12, 2022 and North Cascades Institute blog
A water filter and room to carry extra water
Silesia on Copper Ridge is dry, so one group made a 1-mile detour to filter at Egg Lake. On Desolation Peak's hot, dry trail, a hiker found a stream at about 3,800 feet and filtered there.
From Washington Trails Association: Copper Ridge Loop trip report, August 12, 2022 and Washington Trails Association: East Bank Ross Lake, Desolation Peak trip report, June 15, 2019
Blue bags or another way to pack out waste
The 2022 Copper Ridge hiker wrote that blue bags and a canister were needed at the Tapto Lakes camp, high above Whatcom Pass. The park says to pack out human waste from rock, snow and ice.
From Washington Trails Association: Copper Ridge Loop trip report, August 12, 2022 and North Cascades National Park (NPS)
Dry clothes, a warm sleeping bag and hot food for storm nights
A 2013 Copper Ridge trip met thunderstorms on two nights and pounding rain at Whatcom Camp. The writer says dry clothes, warm bags and hot food lift spirits quickly after setting up wet.
Bug protection for alpine camps
A 2022 hiker found the woods camps nearly bug-free and the alpine camps at Tapto horrendously buggy. A July 2025 Thunder Creek hiker called bugs an annoyance.
From Washington Trails Association: Copper Ridge Loop trip report, August 12, 2022 and Washington Trails Association: Thunder Creek trip report, July 18, 2025
12 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on North Cascades
A heavy pack on a long day
The 2019 Ross Lake hiker carried a heavy load for 13 miles, turned back below Desolation Camp, and finished the day with blisters starting.
From Washington Trails Association: East Bank Ross Lake, Desolation Peak trip report, June 15, 2019
Counting on a bear hang
The Thunder Creek hiker who brought canisters says finding a proper hang would have been difficult on that trip.
From Washington Trails Association: Thunder Creek trip report, May 24, 2025
Too little water for a dry ridge camp
A group found the ridge dry on the way to Silesia and had to drop their packs at the Egg Lake junction and go down to filter water.
From Washington Trails Association: Copper Ridge Loop trip report, August 12, 2022
Gear questions for North Cascades
Do you need a bear canister for North Cascades backcountry camping?
The park accepts a canister, a food box or a hang at least 12 feet up and 5 feet out from a limb. Hikers we read carried canisters and said hangs are hard in places. One borrowed a canister from the ranger station when picking up the permit.
From North Cascades National Park (NPS), Washington Trails Association: Thunder Creek trip report, May 24, 2025 and Washington Trails Association: Copper Ridge Loop trip report, August 12, 2022
Can you have a campfire in North Cascades backcountry camps?
The park prefers a stove. Fires are allowed only in existing rings where the park permits them, burning small dead wood from the ground. Cross-country zones allow no campfires at all.
How do you handle human waste in North Cascades backcountry?
Use a toilet where one is provided. If none is, dig a cathole in organic soil. Waste from rock, snow or ice leaves with you, which is why one hiker carried blue bags to the Tapto Lakes camp.
From North Cascades National Park (NPS) and Washington Trails Association: Copper Ridge Loop trip report, August 12, 2022
How big can a group be in North Cascades backcountry?
The cap is 12 counting stock on trailed areas, plus three named cross-country zones near Boston Basin, Eldorado and Sulphide Glacier. Everywhere else the cap is 6.
Sources
- Backcountry Permits · North Cascades National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Thunder Creek trip report, May 24, 2025 · Washington Trails Association, GoMegaMo · Trip report
- Thunder Creek trip report, July 18, 2025 · Washington Trails Association, kearavt · Trip report
- East Bank Ross Lake, Desolation Peak trip report, June 15, 2019 · Washington Trails Association, AdrianneH · Trip report
- Copper Ridge Loop trip report, August 12, 2022 · Washington Trails Association, Meeshelle · Trip report
- Copper Ridge Loop, Whatcom Pass trip report, August 10, 2019 · Washington Trails Association, Richard Forbes · Trip report
- Backpacking Copper Ridge & the Chilliwack · North Cascades Institute blog, Andy Porter · Blog