Washington Trails Association
- Hiking Excelsior Pass via Nooksack River (wta.org)
This trail is a staircase of switchbacks that march ever upward through thick forest to deliver hikers to an iconic ridge walk in the North Cascades. Starting out just off highway 542, this easily accessible trailhead is situated low in the Nooksack Valley but leads to the heights of Excelsior Pass. The Damfino Lakes Trail is a gentle alternative; it lacks the grueling terrain on the trail and the 14-mile drive to get to the trailhead was very well restored in about 2022.