Hiking the Park Butte Lookout Trail near Mount Baker
Contents
Park Butte Lookout Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 12.20Km (7.60 Miles)
Elevation Gain: 650m (2,133 Ft.)
Highest Elevation: 1,641m (5,384 Ft.)
Average Gradient: 10.66%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 4 – 5 Hours
– Moderate: 3.5 – 4 Hours
– Fast: 3 – 3.5 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~June to October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Park Butte Lookout Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 48°42’24.6″N 121°48’44.2″W
Park Butte Lookout Overview
The Park Butte Lookout is an historic fire lookout located at the top of Park Butte, near Mount Baker in Washington. Constructed in 1932, the lookout is no longer in use as fire lookouts rapidly became obsolete with advancing technology, however it is still maintained thanks to the Skagit Alpine Club. Camping in the lookout is now possible, however it is very popular and first come first served, so getting there early is advisable to snag a spot. Camping is also popular in the meadows, with a plethora of options for setting up a site.
Park Butte is one of the more popular hikes around the Mount Baker area thanks to its moderate stats to fantastic views, as well as the ability to camp in the area. While not a very high peak by any means, the views from Park Butte are fantastic, with almost unparalleled views of Mount Baker, as well as the Twin Sisters and plenty of other North Cascades peaks.
The trail up to Park Butte is moderate, easy to follow and well maintained. Due to its proximity to Mount Baker, snow can linger in the area for some time, typically into July. The peak season is from July to October, but you may get away with going a bit earlier if you don’t mind encountering snow along the way.
Parking for Park Butte is from the end of National Forest Road 13, which is typically a decently well groomed road suitable for most vehicles. The last couple of kilometers will be a bit bumpy, but should be manageable with some careful driving. This trailhead is shared with groups ascending Mount Baker itself, so it can become very busy. If you arrive later in the day you can expect to have to park on the side of the road.
Dogs are welcome in the area.
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Is the Park Butte Lookout worthwhile?
Park Butte is a high reward, moderate effort hike, with fantastic views once you break out of the treeline. The only possible negative could be that it’s a bit of a drive for most people to get here, and it’s a short hike once you arrive, but that shouldn’t put you off as it is well worth it, especially if you enjoy camping in easy to reach, beautiful locations.
How difficult is the hike to the Park Butte Lookout?
Park Butte is a relatively simple hike, both physically and technically. It’s only around 6km (3.8 miles) to reach the summit, so most parties will be on the top within 2 hours or less. The trail is never particularly steep, it’s a moderate climb most of the way. There is nothing technical about this hike unless you go earlier in the year and encounter snow, in which case you will need microspikes at least.
Park Butte Lookout Route Information
The trailhead for Park Butte is from a large parking area at the end of National Forest Road 13. This road is typically quite well maintained and suitable for all vehicles with some careful driving. Parking at the trailhead requires a Northwest Forest Pass.
The trail begins at the northern end of the parking area, near the washrooms. Immediately you will reach a junction where you will want to make sure you don’t join the Scott Paul trail. Crossing a bridge over Sulphur Creek, the first 1.5km (1 mile) of the hike is very mellow, passing though some meadows.
Shortly ahead you will reach a vast, rocky opening with a series of creeks flowing down where a seasonal bridge has been installed to help pass over Rocky Creek. This bridge is only installed for the summer months and is removed from fall to spring. If you go early or late in the year the bridge may be gone, but crossing the creek is usually still manageable with some careful steps.
On the other side of the bridge you’ll have to navigate through the boulder field following a faint boot path. Once back in the forest the climb begins in earnest. For the next 1.5km (1 mile) or so you’ll ascend a typical PNW trail with a series of switchbacks through the steepest sections. At around the 3.3km (2 mile) mark you’ll want to pay attention for a junction, as here you need to take a sharp left turn to remain on the Park Butte trail, rather than continuing straight on the Scott Paul trail.
The climb now mellows out again as you break out of the treeline and reach the start of the meadows. Mount Baker will become visible from here on out, with the views improving as you continue to gain elevation. The trail wraps around, turning back on itself below Cathedral Crag in a rather flat/boggy area. Snow tends to accumulate here later into the season.
Shortly ahead you’ll begin to climb again, soon passing by Bell Pass Junction. This is where most campers will situate themselves, with plenty of options in the sprawling meadows. If you look carefully you should also now see Park Butte Lookout on the top of a forested peak just ahead.
Beyond Bell Pass Junction the trail continues to climb moderately towards the eastern flanks of Park Butte, again with plenty of campsite options. You’ll traverse around the end of the eastern ridge of Park Butte before turning back to start heading towards the lookout. There’ll be some nice views of Survey Point and Loomis Mountain around here.
After a brief spell of climbing you’ll now reach the lookout, passing by a couple of tight campsites just below on the way. The lookout is typically busy with people wanting to reserve their sleeping spot for the night. If the lookout itself is too packed for your liking to enjoy the views, you can actually continue beyond the lookout to a few rocky outcroppings on the butte. These probably actually offer better views than the lookout itself anyway, so I would suggest exploring these regardless.
The views from the top are fantastic, with Mount Baker dominating the skyline. The Twin Sisters range will also be prominent to the west, and the sprawling peaks of the North Cascades lie to the east. There isn’t a huge amount of space along this ridge, but there should be enough for a few people to relax and have some snacks.
Once you’re finished you simply return to the trailhead the same way you came.
When should I hike Park Butte Lookout?
If you want to avoid any complexities with snow I would suggest July to October as the best time to visit Park Butte. You could go a little earlier or later depending on the year, but you’d probably want to check for conditions if you do as you may need to bring snow gear.
Top Tip
Park Butte makes for an excellent sunrise or sunset hike, which is how I tackled it. You could either camp along the way (or in the lookout) and head up to the butte for sunrise/sunset, or you could sleep in your car at the trailhead and start from there. It’s only around 1.5-2 hours to the summit from the trailhead, and the trail is easy to follow with a headlamp.
