Hiking Excelsior Peak in the Mount Baker Wilderness Area
Contents
Excelsior Peak Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 14.30Km (8.9 Miles)
Elevation Gain: 1,180m (3,870 Ft)
Highest Elevation: 1,741m (5,712 Ft)
Average Gradient: 16.50%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 6 – 8 Hours
– Moderate: 5 – 6 Hours
– Fast: 4 – 5 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Excelsior Peak Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 48°54’35.0″N 121°48’07.5″W
Excelsior Peak Overview
Excelsior Peak is a summit located in the Mount Baker Wilderness Area in northern Washington, close to the Canadian border and a mere 1 hour 45 minute drive from Vancouver. Excelsior offers stunning views of Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan, as well as a number of other notable peaks, such as Tomyhoi Peak, Mount Larrabee, Canadian Border Peak, Mount McGuire and the entire Cheam range.
Despite the somewhat sizable stats, Excelsior Peak is an approachable summit with a well maintained trail throughout. It also benefits from a favorable elevation profile, ascending at a moderate gradient the entire hike, with few steep sections but also few flat sections. As such hikers can often find themselves at the summit in a relatively quick time.
Excelsior Peak is also a year-round option and actually makes for a very pleasant snowshoe outing under the right conditions. The vast majority of the hike is under the cover of dense forest, which also makes it a good option on a hot day when shade is of a premium. Once out of the forest hikers will find themselves amongst some beautiful meadows that offer some colorful views in the fall especially.
Due to being in the Mount Baker Wilderness Area, vehicles are required to purchase a recreation pass to park at the trailhead. There is enough parking for 6 vehicles and two vehicles with trailers at the trailhead, so an early start is recommended on a sunny summer weekend when parking may be limited. Excelsior Peak is a dog friendly hike.
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Is Excelsior Peak worthwhile?
Excelsior Peak offers very rewarding views from the summit for a hike that can be completed relatively quickly. While the vast majority of the hike is in the forest, with little of note to see, it’s at least a very efficient forest climb that doesn’t seem to drag on for too long. Once you’re out of the forest the views of Mount Baker open up, then from the summit the remaining views are very nice. Overall this is absolutely a worthwhile hike with good bang for your buck.
How difficult is the hike to Excelsior Peak?
While the average gradient and total elevation gain of the hike are fairly demanding, in reality this hike isn’t as challenging as it might seem. The trail maintains a constant, moderate climb that is never too steep yet rarely flat. Most hikers should be able to maintain a consistent pace with few breaks. The only steep section is the final few hundred meters from the pass to the summit.
Technically the hike is very straightforward with no scrambling or exposure. If going in winter the only concern might be a traverse across a steepish slope just before reaching the pass, which may prove challenging in certain conditions, notably ice.
Excelsior Peak Route Information
The hike begins from a small parking lot on the side of Mount Baker Highway. This is a paved parking lot with a washroom, suitable for any vehicle. There is space for 6 vehicles, plus an additional 2 vehicles with a trailer. A recreation pass must be purchased and displayed to park in the lot, and chains should be carried in the winter to drive on this highway due to its high elevation.
From the parking lot the trailhead is unmissable, and once you’re on it there isn’t a single junction for the entire hike up to the pass. The trail is apparently so easy to follow there aren’t even any trail markers anywhere throughout the whole hike. This might be fine for most of the year, but after a fresh dumping of snow to cover the otherwise obvious trail, it might become problematic.
As soon as you start hiking you will immediately begin a moderate climb into the woods, one that will practically never end until you reach the summit. The good news is the gradient of this climb is ideal for fast and efficient travel, with hikers able to gain elevation quite quickly without overly exerting themselves.
There is very little of note to say about the forest climb, which is the majority of the hike. The views remain much the same throughout and it’s merely just a case of getting on with it.
It won’t be until you’re 6km into the hike, at around 1,525m elevation that things will really start to change. Here you will finally break out of the dense forest and get your first glimpse of Excelsior Peak. As you progress further you’ll begin traversing across a steep slope southwest of the summit, towards Excelsior Pass. If you look behind you now you will see Mount Baker looming impressively overhead.
After briefly passing by some more trees you’ll reach Excelsior Pass, where the trail now splits in multiple directions. One trail will continue north, descending down towards Damfino Lakes, another will continue west along the ridge, while the one you want will go east up to Excelsior Peak. This is now the steepest part of the day, but it’s only brief, climbing around 100m over a 400m stretch.
In no time you’ll be on the summit, where the views are surprisingly impressive. To the south you will have outstanding views of Mount Baker and the smaller summits surrounding it. To the southeast will be Mount Shuksan. East will lie Mount Larrabee, Tomyhoi Peak and Canadian Border Peak. North will look towards Mount McGuire and the entire Cheam range, and finally to the west will be Church Mountain (US) and Bearpaw Mountain.
After resting up at the top, enjoying the views and having a bite to eat, you simply return back to the trailhead the same way you came.
When should I hike Excelsior Peak?
Excelsior Peak is a year-round hike, albeit far more commonly hiked in the summer than the winter. Thanks to the majority of the hike being under the cover of forest, this makes for a good option on a hot summer day when shade is beneficial.
Top Tip
An easier option to hike to Excelsior Peak is to go via the Damfino Lakes trail from the north, though this isn’t an option in the winter as the road will not be plowed like Mount Baker Highway.
