Hiking Dock Butte near Mount Baker
Contents
Dock Butte Hike Information
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 6.30Km (3.90 Miles)
Elevation Gain: 400m (1,312 Ft.)
Highest Elevation: 1,597m
Average Gradient: 12.70%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Low / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 3 – 4 Hours
– Moderate: 2 – 3 Hours
– Fast: 1.5 – 2 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~June to November
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Dock Butte Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 48°39’15.1″N 121°47’01.3″W
Dock Butte Overview
Dock Butte is a small but prominent peak located in the Mount Baker Wilderness, not far from the much more popular Park Butte. While nowhere near as popular as Park Butte, Dock Butte offers comparably sweeping views from the summit, with panoramic views of Mount Baker, Shuksan, the Twin Sisters, Glacier Peak and plenty more from the summit.
In recent years, access to the Blue Lake/Dock Butte trailhead has been the main factor for why this has been a quiet hike. ~6 Miles / 10km from the trailhead, along FR 12, a small bridge has been condemned indefinitely, removing the easy access that once existed here. If this bridge does not get repaired you can expect access to be an issue. Despite the bridge being condemned, people can and do still choose to drive over it, or another option is to bike up the FSR beyond.
From the official trailhead this is a short hike with modest elevation, making for a fairly simple trip. You can optionally extend it a little by also visiting the nearby Blue Lake, which will only add a kilometer or so, and nominal elevation. Most of the hike is in the forest, but the views open up as you near the Butte, with fantastic panoramic views once you get there.
In terms of seasonality, due to the trailhead being at a full 1,200m (3,940 Ft) elevation, Dock Butte is generally a peak season hike. Snow will likely cover the road for the whole winter and for much of spring, though if you time it well it could make for a good snowshoe trip if the snowline isn’t too low.
Dogs are welcome on this hike.
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Is Dock Butte worthwhile?
If you’re looking for a short, simple hike to a very scenic viewpoint, Dock Butte ticks that box quite readily. For a fairly modest summit it’s surprising how good the views from the top are. The only issue really is the access, so hopefully the bridge gets repaired at some point. If access were repaired, you could easily combine Dock Butte with Park Butte to make for a fuller day.
How difficult is the hike to Dock Butte?
At just 6.30km (3.9 Miles) and 400m (1,312 Ft.) elevation gain, this is a short and simple hike from the official trailhead. Of course, if you begin further down the FSR it’ll be a much longer affair. Either way, it’s never particularly steep and most parties should find this straightforward.
Technically speaking it’s also simple and follows a trail the whole way up. Just as you reach the summit you can either attain it via some simple scrambling up NE ridge, or you can wrap around to the north for an easier ascent to the top.
Dock Butte Route Information
As noted, the official trailhead for the Dock Butte / Blue Lake trail is from the end of National Forest Road 12. However, with the condemned bridge ~10km (6 Miles) from the trailhead, should you choose to start there you’ve signed up for a much, much longer hike. Most people will either drive over the bridge regardless (assuming it’s not blocked), or bike up the FSR from the bridge. If you can get information on the status of the bridge before going, that will be very helpful.
From the official trailhead you will easily find the Blue Lake trail leading into the forest. After following this for around 400m of mostly flat forest hiking, you’ll reach the Blue Lake junction. If you’re visiting Blue Lake you’d now head left in that direction. This will only add ~1km (0.6 Miles) round trip, with minimal elevation, so many parties will opt to stop by either on the way up or on the way down.
The Dock Butte trail veers right and begins to climb through the forest as you work your way around the northern shores of the lake, which you’ll likely see down below through the forest. After a little more climbing, the forest will thin out and you’ll start to get smatterings of views here and there, with the trail leveling off briefly.
Shortly ahead the views to the north really open up as you gain the NE ridge of Dock Butte, with incredible views of Mount Baker and the Twin Sisters now on full display. You’ll soon see Dock Butte approaching, which might look a little steep from your position.
As usual though, it’s not as steep as it looks, and you can either approach it directly via the NE ridge, which involves a short but easy scramble, or you can wrap around to the north, which involves some steep but straightforward hiking.
From the top, the views will be breathtaking, with Mount Shuksan now revealing itself, as well as Glacier Peak and countless more on the horizon. It’s surprisingly nice for such a modest, partially forested peak.
After finishing up at the summit, you simply return via the same route you took up.
When should I hike Dock Butte?
If you want to avoid any snow the best time to visit is likely June to October, and even then there may still be some snow lingering in early June. If you don’t mind the possibility of snow, May and early November may also work depending on the year and the status of the road access.
Top Tip
If you are worried about the bridge access but really want to visit Dock Butte, bring bikes and cycle the road to the trailhead if needed. If you need a backup hike, Park Butte is the obvious solution.
