Baker River Trail No. 606

Published 9:00 pm Friday, April 2, 2004

What: A lowland trail through old growth and past ponds and streams.

Where: Take Highway 20 16 miles past Sedro-Woolley. Turn left on the Baker Lake Highway (Forest Service Road 11) at Milepost 82. Drive 25 1/2 miles up the highway to the trailhead at road’s end.

Length: 5.2 miles round trip

Difficulty: Easy.

Beginning elevation: 800 feet.

Ending elevation: 1,000 feet.

Map: Green Trails No. 14 Mount Shuksan

Notes: This is a low elevation hike which travels through stands of majestic old growth timber, past beaver ponds teeming with wildlife, and ends at the confluence of Baker River and Sulphide Creek. The Forest Service reports a few trees down on the trail, but not much damage from winter floods. Turn left past the bridge to stay on the trail. A mile past the bridge puts you in the national park, meaning no dogs and a limit of 12 people per party. Glimpses of Mount Shuksan, Cloud Peak and Jagged Ridge pop up along the way.

U.S. Forest Service reports