This is a list of books and other resources that may be of interest to those studying the North Cascades. It's neither comprehensive nor religiously confined to conventional geographic definitions of the "North Cascades". And of course, it is topically biased based on my own personal interests. I'm continually adding to the list as I learn of new books. Please send along other recommendations.
Local history books are often hard to find; many times they were low-volume printings to start with and are now out print. I have had some luck finding titles at regional libraries (Everett Library NW Room being one of the best); sometimes they can be found at hole-in-the-wall used bookstores (a sadly dying market sector) or on AbeBooks/other online sources.
Alt, David D. and Donald W. Hyndman. Roadside Geology of Washington. Missoula: Mountain Press Publishing Co., 1984.
Written for the highway motorist rather than the climber, but this book has a lot of great information on the geology along US-2, SR-20, and US-97, as well as many other parts of the state.
Bates, Malcolm S. Cascade Voices: Conversations with Washington Mountaineers. Seattle: Cloudcap.
Book contains 36 conversational interviews, featuring many colorful Washington mountaineering personalities. Covers the period 1900-1992.
Bates, Malcolm S. Three Fingers: The Mountain, The Men and a Lookout. Seattle: Cloudcap, 1987.
History of the audacious fire lookout on Three Fingers Mountain, built early 1930s.
Beckey, Fred. Cascade Alpine Guide: Climbing and High Routes, Rainy Pass to Fraser River. Seattle, WA: The Mountaineers, 1981.
"Red Fred", on its 3rd edition as of 2022, needs no introduction. Every Washington climber should own all three volumes of the Cascade Alpine Guide. The Beckey guides contain an interesting mix of (infamously dubious) route information, history, and geology.
Beckey, Fred. Cascade Alpine Guide: Stevens Pass to Rainy Pass. Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1977.
Perhaps the most frequently-consulted Beckey guidebook for many a Snohomish County mountaineer. 3rd edition is current as of 2022.
Beckey, Fred. Challenge of the North Cascades. Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1969.
Beckey, Fred. Range of Glaciers: The Exploration and Survey of the Northern Cascade Range. Portland, OR: Oregon Historical Society Press, 2003.
Not as famous as his Cascade Alpine Guide, but this book is possibly the magnum opus of Fred Beckey. A 500+ page tome, difficult to read but impeccably researched.
Bruseth, Nels. Indian Stories and Legends of the Stillaguamish, Sauks, and Allied Tribes. Arlington, WA: Arlington Times Press, 1949.
Nels Bruseth was a local legend in Darrington, a long-time Forest Service employee, artist and general renaissance man. This book is relatively short (35 pages) but contains a number of interesting native stories that I haven't seen in print anywhere else. I've been able to find facsimile/print-on-demand versions of this book online.
Crowder, D.F. and R. W. Tabor. Routes and Rocks: Hiker's Guide to the North Cascades from Glacier Peak to Lake Chelan. Seattle: The Mountaineers: 1965.
Discovering Washington's Historic Mines, Volume 1: The West Central Cascade Mountains. Monroe, WA: Northwest Mining Publishers, 2008.
Contains detailed history and access details for dozens of historic mines west of the Cascade crest, from approximately North Bend to Darrington.
Fish, Dave. Rambling and Scrambling Around the Mountain Loop Hwy. 2012.
Book includes dozens of sketch maps of scrambles, hikes, and climbs along the areas traditionally accessed from the Mountain Loop Highway and the portion of SR 530 that is west of Darrington. The book contains little supporting text, but the maps are so detailed that they don't need any. Targeted more towards the experienced off-trail scrambler/explorer, significant navigational skills and brush-whacking tolerance are needed to reach many of these destinations.
Fish, Jean Bedal and Edith Bedal. Two Voices: A History of the Sauk and Suiattle People and Sauk Country Experiences. Edited by Astrida R. Blukis Onat. Seattle: BOAS, 2016.
Goldman, Peggy. Washington Scrambles: Selected Nontechnical Ascents, 2nd ed. Seattle, WA: Mountaineers Books, 2014.
Book includes a number of North Cascades scrambles. A good resource for the soloist seeking challenging but non-technical climbs.
Higman, Harry W. and Earl J. Larrison. Pilchuck: The Life of A Mountain. Seattle: Superior Publishing Company, 1949.
Holland, Andy. Switchbacks. Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1980.
Andy Holland was a forest ranger and served as a fire lookout at Circle Peak and Miner's Ridge. Excellent book, provides a glimpse into the Forest Service of the 1930s.
Kresek, Ray. Fire Lookouts of the Northwest, 3rd ed. Ye Galleon Press, 1998.
Majors, Harry M. and Richard C. McCollum. Monte Cristo Area: A Complete Outdoor Guide. Seattle, WA: Northwest Press, 1977.
This book contains an interesting mix of history, geology, camping/hiking/climbing, botany. A unique resource, recommended reading for individuals interested in the Monte Cristo/South Fork Stillaguamish valley area.
Molenaar, Dee. The Challenge of Rainier. Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1971.
OK, I snuck this one onto the list even though Mount Rainier isn't really in the North Cascades. But it's a wonderful classic book on mountain climbing in the Pacific Northwest.
Norman, Elof. The Coffee Chased Us Up: Monte Cristo Memories. Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1977.
Pitzer, Paul C. Building the Skagit: A Century of Upper Skagit Valley History 1870-1970. Portland, OR: The Galley Press, 1978.
Poehlman, Elizabeth S. Darrington: Mining Town/Timber Town. Shoreline, WA: Gold Hill Press, 1979.
Rusk, C. E. Tales of a Western Mountaineer. Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1978.
Spring, Ira and Byron Fish. Lookouts: Firewatchers of the Cascades and Olympics. Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1981.
Tabor, R.W and D.F. Crowder. Routes and Rocks in the Mt. Challenger Quadrangle. Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1968.
Tabor, Rowland and Ralph Haugerud. Geology of the North Cascades: A Mountain Mosaic. Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1999.
This is the only book I am aware of that focuses exclusively on the geology of the North Cascades. Geological vocabulary and uncertainty can be challenging to digest but the book is understandable by the patient layman. Generally focused on geographic area north of Darrington/Holden to the Canadian border; minimal content on the Mountain Loop Highway area.
Whitney, Stephen R. and Rob Sandelin. Field Guide to the Cascades & Olympics, 2nd ed. Seattle: The Mountaineers Books, 2003.
Williams, Buddie. A Photographic History of the Great Northern and the Towns of Highway 2. Startup, WA: Historical Publishing, 2004.
Woodhouse, Philip R. Monte Cristo. Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1979.
Woodhouse, Philip R., Daryl Jacobson, and Bill Petersen. The Everett and Monte Cristo Railway. Monroe, WA: Northwest Mining Publishers, 2010.
The railway is a defining element of the history of the South Fork Stillaguamish river corridor from Granite Falls to Monte Cristo. Book includes numerous photos, maps, and drawings; a fantastic resource for visualizing the history.