Backpacking Park Butte with Stunning Views of Mount Baker
On this overnight backpacking trip we went to the Park Butte Meadows and Fire Lookout Tower with a short side trip up Mount Baker to the base of the Easton Glacier and the climber’s basecamp.
Too many words would be wasted in trying to describe the beauty of this place, so instead I decided to post lots of photos. Park Butte rewarded us with majestic views of Mount Baker, Twin Sisters and more of the North Cascades Range, while the Railroad Grade Trail got us closer to Eason Glacier and all the climbers that were preparing for a long night walk to the summit of Mount Baker. All those girls and guys reminded us of our own climb and of the joy of summiting back in 2014!
Approx. 7.5 miles round trip & 2.200ft elevation gain to Park Butte Fire Lookout Tower. Side trip: adds approx. 2 miles & 500ft elevation to Mount Baker Base Camp. Green Trail Map: Hamilton No. 45. Trailhead: 48.7067, -121.8122.
Our Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Park Butte trailhead to Park Butte Meadows and Fire Lookout Tower
Day 2: Side trip to Easton Glacier on our way home
Day 1: Park Butte Trailhead to Park Butte Meadows and Fire Lookout Tower
Due to the popularity of this place we decided to drive to the trailhead very early on Saturday morning and, that way, increasing our chances of finding the best campsite around the tower.
The first part of the trail goes through intimate meadows full of wildflowers and lots of berries.
Trail through Schrieber’s Meadow on a foggy, chilly Saturday morning.
In about a mile from the trailhead, the roaring Rocky Creak was waiting for us to cross the one person capacity bridge. Nothing to be worried here, the bridge is sturdy and wide enough to feel comfortable even with a wide backpack.
Rocky Creak crossing on a one person capacity bridge - backpacking Park Butte at Mount Baker.
After the Rocky Creak crossing, the trail gets steeper and quickly gains elevation on a series of well maintained switchbacks. The morning light through the cold fog presented us with some good photo opportunities.
Park Butte Trail through the forest on a foggy, chilly and refreshing morning.
Almost as in tandem, the forest and switchbacks disappeared, leaving space for even more meadows, with views of Mount Baker growing grander. Soon thereafter, at Morovitz Meadow, we passed the junction with the Railroad Grade Trail. We would take this trail the following day to hike up to the Easton Glacier. But for now, we stayed on the path to Park Butte.
Mount Baker viewed from the Morovitz Meadow with lupines in the foreground.
Faint line of the trail through a wet meadow - backpacking Park Butte at Mount Baker.
Once we got through the wet meadow, the trail kept going up a bit steeper, crossing the Bell Pass junction.
Trail going up just before we reach the tarns at Park Butte
Shortly after the junction and an uphill section, the trail emerges into a vast field of tarns speckled with rocks and round boulders of all sizes. This is where we found a great campsite with incredible views of Mount Baker towards the North, the Fire Lookout Tower towards the West, and Glacier Peak towards the South-East.
Update on potential current camping restrictions: A reader has brought to our attention that we may have been in an area that may be currently closed to camping (see the comment section). I went to the US Forest Service Park Butte Trail page and WTA to research that, but I was unable to get a decisive confirmation. During our trip we don’t remember seeing any signs about closures and we remember seeing campers all over the place nearby. However, before you go, please make every effort to research current restrictions for yourself and not camp if the area is marked as closed.
After we set up camp and had lunch - yes, we established camp before lunch 😀 - we took on a very short hike up to the Fire Lookout Tower, visible from our camp. The trail passes Pocket Lake and even more flowery meadows.
Our dinner spot and tent site were equally as spectacular as any of the other camps in the area.
Night accommodations with a view of Mount Baker - what can we ask for more! Lovely place!
Day 2: Side Trip to Easton Glacier on Our Way Home
Our second day was very relaxing. We woke up with the the morning light, had our favorite blueberry granola breakfast and Starbucks instant coffee, took a short walk around the couple of tarns and snapped a few more photos of the majestic views surrounding us.
We decided that, instead of going straight home, we would take a detour and hike up the Railroad Grade Trail towards Easton Glacier. We backtracked our earlier day’s steps until we intersected the Railroad Grade Trail, then climbed up the 100+ stone steps all the way to the ridge trail, and then, along the moraine’s edge, all the way up to climber’s base camp located at the end of the Easton Glacier, where the maintained trail ends.
There, at the edge of the glacier’s moraine, we were greeted by some cute, chubby and happy marmots - a friend of mine calls them “miniature bears” and I love to use that name every time I have a chance.
The Easton Glacier got bigger and bigger the closer we got. Our destination and lunch spot was right where the climbers set up their base camps. While sitting down on a rock, we had a great time talking about our special day back when we summited Mount Baker. From that spot, we could see some tiny little specs climbing the Roman Wall - the final section of the Easton Glacier climb of Mount Baker. The tiny size of those humans when compared to the vastness of the mountain around them was really an impressive sight.
After a long lunch brake, we said “good bye and we’ll be back” to the mountain, and started heading down and home. Home is where plans are made for our next adventure.
Until next time, thanks for reading, and Happy Trails!
The Zilcsaks