What: A woodland hike paralleling Baker River and the north end of Baker Lake. The trail was closed last year because of damage (mostly to creek crossings) from storms in the fall of 2003. The trail is open now, but note that some crossings at this point have been replaced by logs rather than bridges. The Forest Service cautions hikers to be sure of their abilities.
Where: From Everett take I-5 north to Highway 20 (North Cascades). Drive 26 miles east to Baker Lake Road (a left turn) and another 26 miles to the end of the road (the last five or six miles are unpaved). There’s a large parking area with toilets. Find the trailhead on the north side of the parking area, about 50 yards left of the toilets.
Length: 9 miles round trip
Difficulty: Moderate
Beginning elevation: 780 feet
Highest elevation: 980 feet
Maps: Green Trails, Lake Shannon 46 and Mount Shuksan 14 USGS, Mount Shuksan and Bacon Peak
Notes: From the trailhead follow a broad path about a half-mile to a junction where Baker River Trail continues north and Baker Lake Trail turns right onto a large suspension bridge over the river. Enjoy the views up and down the river, then plunge into the woods on the other side. Soon you will come to one of the areas of visible flood damage, where the bridge over Blum Creek was wiped out and replaced by a large log. The top is planed and cross-hatched, but there is no handrail. The trail goes up and down, with no steep areas, through the woods near the river. About a mile in, you’ll go through a couple of hundred yards of overgrown trail. Be careful of nettles. In our case, this was a wet weekend, and this was the soggiest part of the trail. Once past this stretch, you have what may be the steepest stretch, heading up a switchback to the bridge over Hidden Creek at about two miles in. It’s quite a picturesque cascade, the upper reaches disappearing far up in the forest. Another mile of easy up and down finally brings glimpses of the upper end of Baker Lake. Walking among really large cedars and firs for another mile-plus you reach a high viewpoint over the lake. From here, a short descent puts you at Noisy Creek Hiker Camp, right on the lake. The distance to here is 4.5 miles. Hiking books that cover this area will say there are views of Baker and Shuksan, but our view was of clouds and rain. Still, there’s plenty to see and enjoy on the trail.
Other Opportunities: Past Noisy Creek, the Baker Lake trail continues another 9.5 miles, veering away from the lake most of the way until coming back to it at the end at Baker Dam Road.
Permits: Northwest Forest Pass required for parking.
More information: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 360-856-5700.
Ron Ramey
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