Exploring Mt Baker, WA in Summer

 

(ok so technically this is Mt Shukshan in the background but its like right next to Mt Baker so shhh!)

July 2021 was our 5 year anniversary. We were originally supposed to go to Japan but COVID ruined that whole dream. Then I decided that we should go to Vancouver, BC, in Canada but Canada wouldn't let us in. So I started looking for fun locations in Washington and I found Mt Baker area. 

Typically the Mt Baker area is known as a ski town but it also has a lot of hiking in the summer as well. 

 

General information: 

-Mt Baker is the 3rd highest mountain in Washington (#1 Mt Rainier, #2 Mt Adams)

-Mt Baker and the area surrounding it is considered a National Forest area and not a national park- it sits directly next to North Cascades National Park

- To legally hike on the trails you need a Northwest Forest Pass, however the Annual National Parks pass also works for this area (score!!)

-The closest town to Mt Baker itself is called Glacier

-To access Mt Baker you drive to Bellingham, WA and then go east on Hwy 542 (aka Mt Baker Highway)

- The cell service is very patchy in this area. Make sure you have directions on your phone before you lose signal 

Hiking the Heliotrope Ridge Trail 

The heliotrope ridge trail was recommended by several different people and guide books. In one of my favorite books ( 100 classic hikes in Washington by Ira Spring) it listed the trail as popular. As we were driving along the road to the trail we ran into no other cars and I was thinking "how popular could this really be?" Boy was I wrong! We got to the trail head and there were cars everywhere! 

The packed parking lot!

Getting to the trail head 

Take highway 542  to the town of Glacier and then turn right on Glacier Creek Road (or Forest Road 39) . Fair warning- Glacier Creek road is a bumpy ride. It takes about a half hour of driving on the bumpy road to get to the trailhead. It is mostly gravel and only one lane with MANY potholes. 

Hiking the trail

The trail is roughly 5.5 miles round trip. It is mostly uphill on the trek out. It popular because it allows people to get as close as possible to Mt Baker without actually climbing it. We did see a lot of people with trekking equipment planning on climbing the mountain. This trail is also pet friendly- we saw many people with their dogs hiking the trail. 

Always bring plenty of water. We also brought snacks and lunch to eat on the trail. I would seriously recommend hiking boots for this trail- there are a lot of uneven surfaces and you are crossing major streams and creeks along the trail. 

At the last part of the trail is a major creek that you have to cross. The water for us was roughly 3ft deep and it is freezing and moving. We saw people crossing it but we didn't feel that confident to do it. It was a pretty foggy day for us to the views were a little patchy but every time we saw Mt Baker it was very pretty. 

A view of the big creek at the end of the trail. It's roughly 3ft deep. 

Hiking around Mt Baker highway 

First of all the drive up into the mountains is absolutely gorgeous. We took our time and enjoyed the views. 

We drove on highway 542 to the Heather Meadows Visitor Center which is almost at the end of the highway. They had a really nice visitor center which had a cool history of area- and a NP stamp. 

Around the visitor center were some GREAT trails- especially for people not wanting to do a lot of mileage or steep climbs. 

Fair warning- we hiked this in mid July and there were parts of it that still had snow (and I mean like at least 6inches-1ft of snow.). Most people weren't doing the hikes because they didn't have appropriate shoes. 

This is also a great place for a picnic- there were many picnic tables in the area around the Visitor Center with beautiful views. 

We hiked: Fire and Ice Trail, Bagley Lake Trail and Twin Lakes Trail. Together this was roughly 3 miles.

We were going to go all the way to the end of the road- called Artists point and hike up there but the road was blocked off due to damage- so sadly we did not get to do that. 

I love how clear the water is!! 

There were some parts that still had a lot of snow- despite it being mid July

North Fork Brewery

This is a brewery and restaurant on Mt Baker highway in the town of Deming. They are known for their house pizzas, house root beer and and craft beer. We really enjoyed it! This would be a great place to go after a long day of hiking. 

This was a great weekend getaway for us! I would recommend both hikes- the views were beautiful!