Practical Information - Cascade Loop

While clearly the most exciting part of planning your vacation is choosing all the fun activities, beautiful places to visit and spend the night, but we know like the saying goes, "the devil is in the details". We always hope all of our planning makes for 100% seamless experiences, but we know life has its own plans sometimes, you know, like when the sky fills with ominous clouds that were NOT in your plans and forecast is key, when you learn you maybe aren't the world's best mountain biker and need to get some medical attention, or when you are in the tail end of your trip and feeling pretty smug about how perfect your timing was under you roll up to that line of backed up cars because of road construction. Spend a little time making note of some of these important practical planning resources. We promise you will be happy that you did!

Need to Know Info

Accessing the Cascade Loop

There are a few ways one can get around the Cascade Loop. Check out all of the options and choose what is right for you. Look for information about what type of air travel is right for you: regional air service such as Pangborn Memorial Airport, Paine Field Passenger Terminal or Sea-Tac International for starters.

Emergencies

Nobody plans to have a medical emergency when they're on vacation BUT just in case, it's a good idea to know exactly how to get help. Need an ambulance? Dial 911! Need to take yourself in to seek care for an illness or non-emergency injury? Consult this list of hospitals and medical care facilities around the Cascade Loop.

Permits & Passes

A lot of Cascade Loop travelers come visit because of the copious amount of hiking, climbing, fishing, rafting, and riding opportunities there are all the way around the byway. Make sure to do your homework though and have your permits and passes in-hand for your trip. Getting a ticket is NOT the souvenir you want to take home!

Phone Service & Cell Reception

Because the Cascade Loop is 440-miles long and crosses all manner of terrain, you might very well find yourself out of reception on occasion. Plan for black-out zones. While there are few coin operated phone booths left, in a pinch SOMEONE will no doubt have a land line you can use in an emergency.

Roadway Conditions & Travel Alerts

One of the reasons road trippers love the Cascade Loop is because the roads are in such great condition. The reason for that though is because the Washington State Department of Transportation is pretty darned diligent about maintaining the roadways. We like this because we like safe roads. We go crazy though because when we have construction on the roads, we experience slowdowns and stops. This is no fun when you didn't plan for it. It isn't too bad when it's on your radar and you have plenty of time built in to your schedule and you have new podcasts and/or music to listen to. Check with the WSDOT regularly leading up to your trip to ensure the smoothest itinerary possible.

Electric Vehicle Charging

The Cascade Loop is the perfect road trip to really get the most of your electric vehicle investment -- we have amazing views, activities, great roads and importantly, copious charging options all the way around the the Loop! Take time before your trip to organize your charging plan. Where will you charge? How long? And what will you do while your vehicle charges? Click here for a list of charging stations you can choose from as you start building your charging plan.

Weather

The Cascade Loop is BIG and it traverses wildly different landscapes throughout the state. This means we can experience wildly different weather in one day all the way around the Loop. Watch the weather forecasts as plan your trip and importantly, as the dates get closer.

Clothing

Depending on your activities, the time of year you travel and the predicted weather, you'll need to pack your clothing and gear accordingly. Regardless of time of year, the weather varies all the way around the Loop so know you'll want a rain coat and/or umbrella for while you're on the Western side of the state. Be sure to walk through our Seasons pages to see what the Loop looks like throughout the year, and note the types of clothing you think you'll need to be comfortable during your trip. Note: layers are always a good idea!