Chain Lakes Loop
Mount Baker
Hiking Key: M~2~KF~DF~V~H~SW~CC~R~PT
Length: 9 Miles
Elevation: 1540 Feet
Pit Toilet: Yes-beginning & along trail
Dogs: Yes-bring their papers
Directions: Take the Sumas border (marked as the Mission border on the highway) and cross the border. After the little town turn left on #547. This leads you to #542. Follow the Mount Baker Highway. Soon you'll come to a fork in the road, stay left, which is now #542. Follow this until you reach the town of Glacier, which is where you buy your parking pass for the day. It's after Maple Falls. It is $5.00 US unless you go on the last Saturday of September. This day is National Public Lands Day and parking is free! You can also buy an annual parking pass for $30.00 US. You can buy your parking pass outside on the machine or inside if it's open.
You can do this hike from the Artist Point parking lot but today we did it the opposite way. You could also park The Austin Pass picnic area parking lot. I will explain our adventure from overflow or The Bagley Lakes parking lot. Walk to the sign post and take the Bagley Lakes Trail. You'll walk down and onto a wood bridge and along a rocky trail that hugs the side of the mountain and is open to a rushing river. Soon you will come to a medieval stone bridge with an arch. After you fill your camera carry on the trail. It now switchbacks up the mountain on a rooty, sometimes rocky trail. You cross many small creeks as you climb higher and higher to Hermans Saddle and Table Mtn.
Now you'll go down to the lakes. Iceberg, Hayes and Mazema Lakes. There are many perfect spots here for lunch. Once you've filled up your camera and your belly head back up the trail. You'll cone to Ptarmigan Ridge junction. Artist point parking lot is now in view. As you walk along this rocky part of the trail, the valley views are amazing. Look up and you may get lucky spotting a Marmot. We did!
Once you arrive at the Artist Point parking lot walk down the road 100 meters and you'll see a cairn on your tight and a driveway on your left. In the driveway is several more cairns. They are labelled with a goose and this is the start of the Wild Goose Trail. It takes you down and through the picnic area parking lot. The trail has some rooty and rocky sections and some log stairs. It's somewhat steep in some sections. Once in the picnic day area parking lot it gets kinda tricky to find the overflow parking lot. The Wild Goose Trail does continue but at times it's hard to locate. We ended up walking part way on the road. Happy & safe trails.
Mount Baker
Hiking Key: M~2~KF~DF~V~H~SW~CC~R~PT
Length: 9 Miles
Elevation: 1540 Feet
Pit Toilet: Yes-beginning & along trail
Dogs: Yes-bring their papers
Directions: Take the Sumas border (marked as the Mission border on the highway) and cross the border. After the little town turn left on #547. This leads you to #542. Follow the Mount Baker Highway. Soon you'll come to a fork in the road, stay left, which is now #542. Follow this until you reach the town of Glacier, which is where you buy your parking pass for the day. It's after Maple Falls. It is $5.00 US unless you go on the last Saturday of September. This day is National Public Lands Day and parking is free! You can also buy an annual parking pass for $30.00 US. You can buy your parking pass outside on the machine or inside if it's open.
You can do this hike from the Artist Point parking lot but today we did it the opposite way. You could also park The Austin Pass picnic area parking lot. I will explain our adventure from overflow or The Bagley Lakes parking lot. Walk to the sign post and take the Bagley Lakes Trail. You'll walk down and onto a wood bridge and along a rocky trail that hugs the side of the mountain and is open to a rushing river. Soon you will come to a medieval stone bridge with an arch. After you fill your camera carry on the trail. It now switchbacks up the mountain on a rooty, sometimes rocky trail. You cross many small creeks as you climb higher and higher to Hermans Saddle and Table Mtn.
Now you'll go down to the lakes. Iceberg, Hayes and Mazema Lakes. There are many perfect spots here for lunch. Once you've filled up your camera and your belly head back up the trail. You'll cone to Ptarmigan Ridge junction. Artist point parking lot is now in view. As you walk along this rocky part of the trail, the valley views are amazing. Look up and you may get lucky spotting a Marmot. We did!
Once you arrive at the Artist Point parking lot walk down the road 100 meters and you'll see a cairn on your tight and a driveway on your left. In the driveway is several more cairns. They are labelled with a goose and this is the start of the Wild Goose Trail. It takes you down and through the picnic area parking lot. The trail has some rooty and rocky sections and some log stairs. It's somewhat steep in some sections. Once in the picnic day area parking lot it gets kinda tricky to find the overflow parking lot. The Wild Goose Trail does continue but at times it's hard to locate. We ended up walking part way on the road. Happy & safe trails.