3 Incredible Hikes in the Mt. Baker Forest
Like most of Washington, the Mt. Baker Forest region is drop dead gorgeous. For my first time visiting the state, I feel like I was not the least bit disappointed with our decision to ditch the city and stay in a quaint Airbnb in Baring, WA. Since we chose most of our hikes based on our location, we ended up hitting the trails within the Mt. Baker region. Being from the midwest, I had not been on many jaw dropping hikes in awhile. Below are the top 3 hikes I would recommend exploring.
Lake Serene/Bridal Veil Falls
- Hike Length: 8.2 Miles
- Difficulty Rating: Hard
- Elevation Gain: 3,005 ft
- Trail Type: Out & Back
To be completely blunt, this trail is NOT for the faint of heart but is 1,000% worth the climb. The trail can be done as one long hike, or if you prefer a shorter hike you can do just Bridal Veil Falls which cuts the hike down to about 1/3 of the total mileage. Parking can fill up incredibly fast here so plan to get in early or do a sunset hike. We arrived around 7:30 am and the lot was already about half full.
In order to hike the trail you will need to pay a small day fee. You can use a pass purchased online or fill out a form at the trailhead and use cash (I believe the fee was $5). Since we were there during Covid-19, fees were not required to prevent the spread of the disease. Either way the fee is minimal compared to what you get out of it.
The first mile or so of the trail is relatively easy and feels like a casual stroll in the forest. Once you hit the Bridal Veil Falls split the trail will start to gain elevation at a faster pace. If you plan on doing both, take the falls trail first because I can guarantee you will not be in the mood on the way down. The falls is only a short, steep jaunt up and completely worth it. The slick black rock face was totally unique from any other waterfall I had ever seen. Additionally, you get a pretty sick view of the surrounding mountains while sitting and enjoying the mist from the falls. Be careful in this area as the ground can be slick and falling is a lot easier (not that I have any personal experience from this…).
Once you’ve come down from the falls is when the real fun begins. The trail has many built in staircases and they are no joke. Your butt will be screaming by the time you get to the top. My recommendation, take it slow and steady, stop a lot for water, and make sure to give yourself the opportunity to acclimate to the elevation changes. This is also not a hike to skimp on water or real hiking shoes. Risk of an ankle twist is high and you will thank yourself for bringing extra water along.
About a half mile out from the lake, the dense forest will clear up and you will get stunning views of the nearby mountain ranges. The lake is what some may call Serene and it is relatively quiet if you can avoid the crowds and start early. By the time we started heading down, there were a bunch of people headed up. This surprised me since it was a Wednesday so be forewarned that this is a popular hike. Pro Tip: pack some yummy snacks or a full lunch to enjoy by the lake before heading back down.
Heybrook Lookout Trail
- Hike Length: 2.4 Miles
- Difficulty Rating: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 908 ft
- Trail Type: Out & Back
In eloquent terms, this is a shorty but a goody. The parking lot is directly off the highway so it can be tricky if you are coming from the Seattle area. You may have to drive past and turn around depending on how busy it is. Since we were coming from the opposite direction, we were able to easily pull off. There isn’t a ton of parking so I would highly recommend doing this hike at sunrise or sunset when traffic is lower.
The trail is relatively steep, but it’s not super long so I wouldn’t let that scare you away. After the first 3/4 of a mile the trail starts to level out more and the going is a lot easier. The lookout will appear out of nowhere and it is actually quite large. We had it mostly to ourselves while we were there minus a few other hikers.
The views from this lookout are next level. You can see a lot of the surrounding the Mt. Baker Forest. I honestly feel like you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t come at sunrise or sunset. This place would also be great during any season and if I lived in the area I’d probably do it 4 times a year just to see how the mountains change.
[easy-image-collage id=2877]The hike down went really quick and we were out before the sun completely set. Since the hike is short you probably only need one water bottle and can get away with wearing regular trail shoes instead of hiking boots.
Index Town Trail
- Hike Length: 2.2 Miles
- Difficulty Rating: Hard
- Elevation Gain: 1,250 ft
- Trail Type: Out & Back
I am not kidding when I say this was hands down the hardest trail that we did during our trip to the Mt. Baker Forest. Which is so annoyingly deceiving since it is only a little over 2 miles. I would jump at this hike if you’re someone who loves a challenge and are relatively fit.
The directions on getting to the actual trailhead were a bit confusing and we would have most likely gotten lost if I hadn’t been using my All Trails app. Basically, you park at the trailhead, follow the path up to the train tracks, cross the tracks, and turn right and walk along the tracks for about a 1/4 mile until you’re there. There is some sort of climbing trail right across the tracks so don’t take that route.
You are in for a ride on this hike. The challenge was actually part of the fun for us. We had the trail entirely to ourselves and only saw one other person the entire time. Immediately the trail turns into a sharp incline and you are slowly crawling your way upwards. There are numerous times where the trail becomes less obvious and you run the risk of losing it. There are blue, orange, and pink ties on trees to help you find the route. Additionally, a few rustic signs are posted along the way and at one point there is an arrow in a fallen tree to help you. As long as you keep your eyes peeled you will be fine.
The view at the top looks directly down over the tiny town of Index. Although it was an overcast day, we still got some pretty picturesque moments and were happy we did the hike. On a clear day I can only imagine what the mountains look like. All in all, the heavy panting was just a small price to pay for the beautiful hike.
Wrap Up
- If you’ve learned anything from this post, you must visit the Mt. Baker Forest!
- Each hike has it’s own difficulty and reward so make sure you prepare appropriately.
- As all of these are relatively popular, try to go in the morning or evening to avoid the crowds!
- Enjoy yourself and take lots of pictures 🙂