We made the trek to North Cascades National Park this weekend. This remote park in Washington was very fascinating to drive through. We stopped for some short excursions and learned about the complex geology and history.

So much of this natural beauty is defined by the three dams built in the mid-1900s to supply electricity to Washington. Technically, the dams are impressive engineering feats. The Gorge Dam has a small museum describing how the dams were constructed. Looking at them now, it’s amazing to think that people were able to build structures this large out in the wilderness. The Gorge Dam features tunnels over two miles long to increase the power to the turbines. Even today, the dams supply nearly 20% of Seattle’s power.

Those dams created the beautiful, narrow lakes of the park. The light blue color comes from the rock dust produced by glacial runoff. In the last days of August, there was still snowmelt coming down the steep cliff sides, producing impressive waterfalls.

But I was also struck by how much is at risk. Acres of evergreen trees were turning red, likely due to the stress of climate change-induced heat and drought. Large areas have burned in the last decade, with trees that are much less adapted to fire than those further south. The deciduous trees were covered in large webs of moth caterpillars that destroyed all the leaves on the branches. This is all among dams that have drastically changed the landscape and its ecology, but also provide a carbon-free source of energy. And through these dramatic mountains, we’ve cut roads, strung powerlines, and carved trails.

The reality is there’s no perfect system for using the land and preserving it. Thankfully, much of the park is still well preserved. In fact, the road that bisects the park is essentially the only portion that you can drive to. Much of the park system is only accessible via trails, and the foot traffic is much less than in other well-known parks like Yellowstone or Yosemite. The scale of how much wilderness is out there is hard for me to comprehend. But I’m glad I’ve been able to see it and hope to be back to experience even more.