North Cascades Photography – Cap Sante Park

Finding a great vista is like finding gold to a photographer. A view point from which to capture sunrises, sunsets, moon or stars is priceless. There are many in the North Cascades: Washington Pass Overlook along Highway 20 and Artist Point, at the end of the Mt Baker Highway are two fantastic spots. Down in Skagit Valley one of my favorites is located in Anacortes, along the Cascade Loop Highway.

Anacortes is located on Fidalgo Island. Rosario Strait and the San Juan Islands are to the West while to the South, Deception Pass separates Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands. To the East, the Swinomish Channel separates Fidalgo Island from the mainland.

Cap Sante Park is a 37 acre forested promontory at the eastern edge of Anacortes. It is primarily a viewpoint overlooking the marina, the City of Anacortes, March Point, Fidalgo Bay and the Cascades. A remnant of an amphitheater is located on the east bank of the park.

There is plenty of parking, no rest rooms, and a few very short trails.

Sunrise here is especially spectacular. The serrated ridge-line of the North Cascades scrapes the horizon and Mount Baker grandly stands guard over the proceedings.

This particular set of images of from a sunrise a few weeks ago…

Nearby is Cap Sante Marina. Make sure to stop by for some more wonderful images of all the boats…

Here are a few more images from recent sunrise visits to Cap Sante.

 

Summer is coming! That means Night Sky Photo Tour opportunities along the North Cascades Highway! If you’re interested in learning how to capture images of the Milky Way, here is a recent article “Astrophotography with a DSLR” to help get you started.