On October 2, the North Cascades National Park turned 50 years old. For five decades, the park has protected dynamic wild landscapes, glacial peaks, countless streams, unique natural beauty and important human stories.

To celebrate the occasion, the US Department of the Interior has assembled a gallery of the park's grand landscapes, ranging from pristine lakes to grasslands lined with wildflowers and the animals that inhabit it. Scroll through the photos above, then look below for another special 50th Anniversary, the National Trails System:

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