Mount Baker Highway
WA 542Glacier to Artist Point · Washington
Distance23.1mi · 37 km
Drive time46 minon the road
DifficultyModerate
MountainForest
A climb to a glorious dead-end viewpoint between a volcano and a glacier-clad peak.
WA 542 runs up the valley to Mount Baker, climbing at the end to Artist Point between the glaciers of Mount Baker and the jagged Mount Shuksan, one of the great mountain views in the Pacific Northwest. The top is open only briefly in late summer; mind the heavy snowfall, the late-lying snow, and the dead-end turnaround.
Where it runs
GlacierStart · Washington
Artist PointEnd · United States
Character
Corners30bends
Tightness5of 10
Max gradient8%≈ 1-in-13
Hairpins8tight bends
Climb1293 mtotal ascent
Summit1538 mhighest point · 5046 ft
Summer
Elevation
1253 m rangeKnow before you go
- Snow lingers into summer at the top
- Dead-end with turnaround traffic
- Fog and low cloud
Along the road
- viewpoint Nooksack Falls Viewpoint
- viewpoint Artist Point
Sources
Nearby roads
The closest great drives to Mount Baker Highway.
