Mount Baker sits in the North Cascades area of Washington State, just South of the Canadian border, and showcases quite possibly some of the most beautiful nature scenery on Earth. There are a multitude of hikes to do in this area, and most are not too challenging, yielding jaw-dropping views of jagged mountain peaks and of course the ever-elusive snow-capped glacier of Mount Baker. Artist Point is the end of the road leading up to Mount Baker, and is the starting point for many day hikes. If you’re not a hiker, Artist Point offers rewarding views from the visitor’s center without even having to lift a hiking pole. This is a popular skiing and snowboarding spot during the winter and hiking during summer.

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If you are planning to stay for a multi-day trip, the closest towns with accommodation are Glacier and Deming. The hip town of Bellingham is just one hour away if you’re looking for good food or a little bit of nightlife that doesn’t involve lumberjacking or tipping cows. The only three eateries we found to be decent in the town of Glacier/Deming are:

1) Yuki Yama (sushi)
2) Wake ‘N Bakery (cafe, bakery)
3) Milano’s (Italian, Mediterranean) – be sure to try their rum-heavy tiramisu. It’s to die for!

Read related: Visiting Olympic National Park & Port Angeles 

Some of our favorite hikes in the area include:

1) Skyline Divide
2) Chain Lakes & Heather Meadows
3) Table Mountain

SKYLINE DIVIDE

Trail Information
9 miles
2,500′ elevation gain
Highest point: 6,563′
Parking pass: Northwest Forest Pass

The trail begins with a steady incline along a well-marked trail through the forest, which eventually leads to an open meadow of beautiful wildflowers. As you continue, you slowly start to get a peak of the glacier that everybody does this hike to see: Mount Baker.

As you emerge through the fields, suddenly like meeting the Wizard for the first time in Oz, Mount Baker appears dramatically right in front of your face, and you literally stop in your tracks, realizing that you need to roll your jaw back up off the ground.

It’s pretty much mandatory to stop and take photos of the pretty flowers.

It looks like someone just dropped Sasha in front of a Hollywood green screen and told him to start walking along a fake dirt path…

The perfect location to take yoga photos…

CHAIN LAKES & HEATHER MEADOWS

Trail Information
8 miles
1,700′ elevation gain
Highest point: 5,400′
Parking pass: Northwest Forest Pass

This hike is gorgeous even in the shrouded mist of clouds. On a clear day you can see views of both Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan, with alpine lakes along the way for a refreshing swim if you’re doing Wim Hof’s cold training. 😉

We went in August and got unlucky with overcast, chilly weather, but it was still worth it! I love these cute little Dr. Seuss-looking fluffy plants.

The columnar rocks make for a pretty dramatic wall.

TABLE MOUNTAIN

Trail Information
2.6 miles
725′ elevation gain
Highest point: 5,700′
Parking pass: Northwest Forest Pass

This is a short hike that begins from the car park at Artist Point and goes to the top of a flat mountain (hence the name). Even in August there can be snow on the ground!

I hope you enjoy your trip visiting one of the Pacific Northwest’s most beautiful mountain areas!

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