A Weekend Hiking the Chain Lakes Loop

Day 1 of 2

Drive the Mount Baker Highway & hike the Chain Lakes Loop

Drive the full length of the Mount Baker Highway (SR 542) up from Glacier or Bellingham to its end at the Heather Meadows and Artist Point parking areas, around 5,100 feet. It is one of the great scenic byways in the state, climbing through old-growth forest into open alpine country with the white mass of Mount Baker filling the windshield. You'll need a Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful pass to park at the trailheads up top.

5 stopsDay one

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⠿Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.

1. ⠿↑↓1
   Drive from where are you driving from?~1.5 hr · scenic byway · check road status · Drive

   Drive the full length of the Mount Baker Highway (SR 542) up from Bellingham or Glacier to its end at the Heather Meadows and Artist Point parking areas, around 5,100 feet. It is one of the great scenic byways in Washington, climbing through old-growth forest into open alpine country with Mount Baker filling the windshield. Check the forest road status before you go.

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   Artist Point trailheadTop of SR 542 · loop start hub · Viewpoint

   Park at Artist Point at the very top of the highway, the high pivot point between Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan and where most hikers start the Chain Lakes Loop. You'll need a Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful pass on the dash. This is also the launch point for Table Mountain and Ptarmigan Ridge.

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   Chain Lakes Loop~6.5 mi · ~1,800 ft · five alpine lakes · Hike

   Hike the Chain Lakes Loop, roughly 6.5 miles with about 1,800 feet of gain. From Artist Point most hikers run it clockwise, dropping past Iceberg Lake and the chain of Mazama, Hayes, and Arbuthnot lakes before climbing over Herman Saddle and out along Bagley Lakes. Baker and Shuksan trade places on the skyline the whole way around.

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   Bagley LakesLower Heather Meadows leg · Viewpoint

   The loop's lower leg runs past Bagley Lakes in Heather Meadows, an easy, photogenic stretch beneath the slabs of Table Mountain. If you start low instead of from Artist Point, this is where you begin and warm up before the climb to Herman Saddle.

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   Stay in Glacier, WASmall gateway town up the highway · lodge

   Base in Glacier, the small gateway town partway up the Mount Baker Highway, so you are close to the trailhead for an early start. There is no lodging up at Artist Point itself. If Glacier is full or you want more options, drive down and stay in Bellingham instead. Book ahead for prime late-summer weekends.

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Day 2 of 2

Artist Point, Table Mountain & the Picture Lake reflection

Spend your second day soaking up the high country around Artist Point without the long loop. The short, steep Table Mountain trail switchbacks up the flat-topped butte right above the parking area for a 360-degree view over Baker, Shuksan, and the whole tangle of the North Cascades, and the Ptarmigan Ridge trail runs out toward Baker for as far as you want to walk. Both are easy add-ons to the loop or a fine standalone morning.

4 stopsDay two

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⠿Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.

1. ⠿↑↓1
   Table MountainShort steep climb · 360-degree view · Hike

   Climb the short, steep Table Mountain trail straight up from Artist Point onto the flat-topped butte for a 360-degree view over Baker, Shuksan, and the whole tangle of the North Cascades. It holds snow on the upper switchbacks well into summer, so check conditions before you start up.

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   Ptarmigan Ridge (add-on)Open ridge walk toward Mount Baker · Hike

   For more high-country time, the Ptarmigan Ridge trail runs out from Artist Point toward Mount Baker across open alpine terrain, with the volcano growing in front of you the whole way. Walk it out as far as you like and turn around, and keep an eye on lingering snowfields that can stay late into the season.

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   Picture Lake strollFamous Mount Shuksan reflection · Viewpoint

   On the way back down, stop for the easy Picture Lake loop in Heather Meadows, the famous spot where Mount Shuksan reflects in a small tarn, one of the most photographed scenes in Washington. It reflects best on a still morning before the wind picks up, and it is a flat walk right off the highway.

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   Getting home: Bellingham or SeattleBLI ~1.5 hr · SEA ~2.5 hr · Drive

   From Mount Baker it is roughly 1.5 hours back to Bellingham (BLI) or about 2.5 hours to Seattle (SEA). Drive the Mount Baker Highway back down in the long evening light, and if it is early fall, watch the heather meadows burn red and orange on the way out.

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