Welcome to the breathtaking realm of the Mt. Baker Wilderness! We have curated a list of our favorite Mt. Baker hikes, adding new gems each year as we explore further. Prepare to don your hiking boots and answer the call of the wild as you immerse yourself in a symphony of towering peaks, lush forests, and cascading rivers. Mt Baker has the best collection of dog friendly day hikes and easy backpacking trips in the state of Washington.
We have listed only hikes we have done and ratings come from this list.
Now on to the hikes:
1. ptarmigan ridge to goat lake | Distance: 10.5 MI | Elevation: 1,950 Ft
Overall Rating: 88
BackPacking: yes (goat lake)
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: August to early october
Location: artist point
Dog friendly: Yes
Ptarmigan Ridge is all about the views and it provides it in abundance starting form the parking lot at Artist Point. The well-maintained trail offers two options: follow the ridge for Mount Baker's stunning vistas or take the spur trail to the captivating Goat Lake, our favorite. Nearby campsites make Goat Lake an ideal alternative to the busy Chain Lakes on crowded weekends.
2. Chain Lakes Loop | Distance: 7 MI | Elevation: 1,750 Ft
Overall Rating: 85.5
BackPacking: Yes
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: late July to October
Location: artist point
dog friendly: yes
This stunning loop hike offers a diverse range of attractions, including breathtaking alpine lakes perfect for swimming and is well maintained throughout making this a great beginning backpack trip. There are 8 official backpacking spots on this trail that fill up quickly on the weekends. The hike can be accessed from three separate parking lots, with two directions available for the loop. Hiking counter-clockwise starting at Artist Point is our recommendation and the camping spots around Hayes Lake are the most scenic.
3. Park Butte | Distance: 7.5 Mi | Elevation: 2,200 ft
Overall Rating: 83.5
BackPacking: Yes
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: Mid July to October
Location: baker lake rd (SR 20)
Park Butte is a beloved Mount Baker hike boasting an iconic historic fire lookout that you can camp in if you are an early riser. This the best Mount Baker hike on the SR 20 side of the mountain and there are plenty of available campsites spread throughout the trail. It is a moderately steep trail and make sure to bring plenty of water! Check out our Park Butte backpacking guide!
4. yellow aster butte | Distance: 7.5 Mi | Elevation: 2,600 ft
Overall Rating: 83
BackPacking: Yes
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: Mid July to October
Location: twin lakes road
Dog Friendly: Yes
Yellow Aster Butte is our pick for the best fall backing trip around Mt Baker. It is a moderate hike and fall colours explode everywhere if you time it right. The backpacking sites are situated below the peak in a fun area full of small tarns and lakes that are great to explore. This is located on Twin Lakes Rd which is accessed from the Mount Baker highway and shares a trailhead with Tomyhoi Lake.
5. lake ann | Distance: 8.9 Mi | Elevation: 2100 ft
Overall Rating: 79
BackPacking: Yes
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: late July to October
Location: Mount Baker Highway
Dog Friendly: Yes
Lake Ann is a great day hike or backpacking trip to a nicely situated lake right in the face of Mount Shuskan. It is a little less popular than a few of its neighbors although can still get quite busy on peak weekends. It is a moderate hike but the last push to Lake Ann is quite exposed to the sun on hot days. As a bonus there is a relatively short spur trail to get right up next to Coleman Glacier. This is located on a parking lot on the left side of the road about 1/2 mile prior to Artist Point.
6. Heliotrope ridge | Distance: 5.9 Mi | Elevation: 1400 ft
Overall Rating: 75.5
BackPacking: Yes
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: late July to October
Location: nf 39 off mt Baker Hwy
Dog Friendly: Yes
Heliotrope Ridge is one of the best hikes in Washington to get up close and personal to a glacier. It also boasts great Mt Baker views and an abundance of alpine flowers and meadows. River crossings can be tricky in July especially on hot days.
The road to Heliotrope Ridge NF-39 is washed out 4.5 miles to the trailhead adding 9 MILES to the hiking distance. We will try to update this once it is fixed.
6. Winchester Mountain | Distance: 7.5 Mi | Elevation: 2,200 ft
Overall Rating: 68
BackPacking: Yes (lookout only)
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: mid July to October
Location: twin lakes road
Dog Friendly: Yes
Winchester Mountain holds a special place in our hearts and offers one of our favorite views in the State of Washington at the peak of the mountain. Mount Larrabee is the dominant peak to the North and the bright blue of Twin Lakes sparkles below to the south. You can sleep in the lookout if you arrive early enough and get very lucky otherwise tent pads are located at the trailhead around Twin Lakes. This is located on Twin Lakes Road located off the Mount Baker highway. The road becomes rough right after the Yellow Aster Butte trailhead.
4 wheel drive with high clearance is a must as this is one of the worst roads we have driven and is full of large pot holes, small washed out areas, steep drops and is narrow throughout
7. Skyline Divide | Distance: 9 Mi | Elevation: 2,500 ft
Overall Rating: 65
BackPacking: Yes
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: mid July to October
Location: NF 37 off mt baker hwy
Dog Friendly: Yes
Skyline trail is all about the views although we did not feel they were quite as awe inspiring as a few of the trails higher up on this list. The ridge line does have quite a few stunning photo opportunities.
The road to this trailhead NF 37 is washed out 9.6 miles before the trailhead making this trail unobtainable at the moment. We will try to update this if it changes.
8. bagley lakes | Distance: 7.5 Mi | Elevation: 2,200 ft
Overall Rating: 63
BackPacking: no
Difficulty: easy
Season: July to October
Location: Mount Baker Highway
Dog Friendly: Yes
Bagley Lakes is the easiest trail on the list but packs a ton a views in its short length. This is a great trail for those looking for a shorter day hikes or have small children. There are no camping sites and the final stretch of the Chain Lakes trail meanders through this area. It can be done in a loop and the fall colors are impressive. It is located in the Heather Meadows area at the end of the Mt Baker Highway and has a couple parking lots making accessibility quite easy.
9. baker lake | Distance: 7.5 Mi | Elevation: 2,200 ft
Overall Rating: 52.5
BackPacking: Yes
Difficulty: easy
Season: June to October
Location: Mount Baker Highway
Dog Friendly: Yes
Baker Lake is a nice late spring to early summer backpacking trip before the higher elevation hikes have melted out. It is located on the SR 20 side of Baker and has a number of official camping areas. The trail itself is removed from the lake except for the camping areas so it is mostly a forest walk.
Mount Baker area that are on our trail bucket list and will hopefully be added in the coming years
Hannegan Pass
Church Lake
Tomyhoi Lake
Table Mountain
Excelsior Pass
Mount Baker Summit Hike