Mount Baker & North Cascades, washington
Attractions Guide

This itinerary consists of two different areas around Mt. Baker, including the northern side of the mountain just below the Canadian border along the Mt. Baker Highway, and the southern side of the mountain along the Cascades Highway. Both of these highways can only be reached near Highway 5 to the west of Mt. Baker.

Along Highway 5 between the Mt. Baker and Cascades Highways is the city of Bellingham, where you'll find a charming downtown area full of excellent local breweries and great restaurants.

Driving along the Mt. Baker Highway on the northern side of the mountain you'll first encounter the beautiful Noosack Falls, which flow through a canyon just off the highway.

At the end of this long highway is Artist Point, where you'll find several great trails at the base of Mt. Baker. Be sure to stop at Picture Lake for incredible views of the nearby Mount Shuksan framed behind the lake. Nearby is the easy 1.4 mile (2.3 km) round-trip Bagley Creek Loop Trail which ventures alongside a lovely creek.

Table Mountain Trail

From Artist Point you might like to hike the 3.8 mile (6.1 km) round-trip Table Mountain Trail, which offers picturesque views of Mt. Baker alongside lush forests and meadows.

Chain Lakes Loop Trail

The ideal trail to hike from Artist Point is the more challenging 5.5 mile (8.9 km) round-trip Chain Lakes Loop Trail, which traverses a gorgeous landscape of vibrant meadows and forests set amongst alpine lakes, while also hosting excellent views of Mt. Baker. This trail journeys further into the wilderness and passes below Table Mountain.

Sauk Mountain Trail

On the southern side of Mt. Baker along the Cascades Highway is the 2.5 mile (4 km) round-trip Sauk Mountain Trail, which ventures high up Sauk Mountain passing through dense forests and pretty meadows. The trail also offers mesmerizing views over the Skagit River and an alpine lake below.

North Cascades Mountains

Much further east along the highway you'll be driving through the glorious towering mountains of North Cascades National Park.

Trail of the Cedars Suspension Bridge

Along the highway be sure to stop at the Suspension Bridge of the Trail of the Cedars in Newhalem, which spans the Skagit River and is located adjacent to the parking lot. Nearby you can also stop along the highway to admire the stunning Gorge Creek Falls, which you can view from the highway bridge adjacent to the Gorge Overlook Trail parking lot.

Hidden Lake Lookout Trail

One of the most popular hiking trail in North Cascades National Park is the Hidden Lake Lookout Trail. This trail ventures high up into the Cascades Mountains through forests and meadows before reaching the pristine deep blue Hidden Lake surrounded by majestic mountain peaks.

The round-trip hiking distance for this challenging trail is about 7.7 miles (12.4 km) round-trip, with a significant elevation gain of about 3,400 feet (1,000 m).

Cascade Pass Trail

Further down the road from the Hidden lake Trail is another extremely popular but challenging hike, the Cascade Pass Trail. This hike journeys deep into the wilderness through thick forests teeming with wildlife before arriving at Cascade Pass, surrounded by the incredibly beautiful mountain peaks of the North Cascades.

The Cascade Pass trail is approximately 6.6 miles (10.6 km) round-trip, with an elevation gain of about 1,800 feet (550 m) and the option to extend the hike, which connects to many other trails. The most highly recommended option is to at least extend this hike by an additional 1.6 miles (2.6 km) round-trip to reach the overlook for the serene and picturesque Doubtful Lake.

Continue east to Washington's most breathtaking lake, the vibrant light blue Diablo Lake. From the Diablo Lake Vista Point you can take in sweeping views over this majestic lake, which sits below densely forested mountains. Diablo Lake is quite far inland along the highway but is definitely worth the effort.

Diablo Lake Hikes

For breathtakingly gorgeous views overlooking Diablo Lake nestled below the Cascade Mountains from high above, you might consider the challenging hike up to Sourdough Mountain, which is one of the most popular hiking trails in North Cascades National Park. This hike is approximately 9.2 miles (14.8 km) round-trip with nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) of elevation gain, but rewards with some of the most beautiful views in Washington.

Another popular trail around Diablo Lake is the much easier Thunder Knob Trail, which is about 3.4 miles round-trip and traverse through the dense Washington forests along a hill above Diablo Lake. While Thunder Knob does provide descent views over Diablo Lake, the view from the roadside Vista Point is better, however the forest along this trail is quite scenic.

Ross Lake Overlook

Just beyond Diablo Lake you can stop at the Ross Lake Overlook, which provides partial views over the vast Ross Lake, which spans over the Canadian border.