You’re going to have to wait until later for a hike from scenic Artist Point this year
If you dream of driving up to Artist Point to enjoy the mountain beauty now that summer is here, you’re going to have to wait until Mother Nature melts the last of the snow on the scenic route.
More than 5,000 feet above sea level, Artist Point is a popular viewpoint with 360-degree views that include Mount Shuksan and Mount Baker. It’s also a popular jumping off point for stunning mountain hikes.
Crews usually are working this time of the year to clear snow from the last 2.7 miles of Mount Baker Highway, also known as State Route 542, which ends in the parking lot at Artist Point. At the height of the hiking season in summer and fall, the lot is jammed with vehicles.
But the entire route isn’t going to be cleared this year, according to a Monday, June 22, update posted on the Washington State Department of Transportation’s website.
Right now, vehicles can get as far east as the Bagley Lakes Trailhead.
If conditions allow it, bicyclists or hikers can go past a gate to Artist Point, but at their own risk, according to the post.
Meanwhile, the department said it will wait for the last 1.8 miles of the road — from the Terminal Lake parking lot, near the Heather Meadows Visitor Center — up to Artist Point to melt out on its own, which it expects to happen in August.
The reason? The COVID-19 pandemic.
The majority of U.S. Forest Service trails and facilities are closed this summer, according to the post.
Artist Point is located in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, and Forest Service officials said they were reopening some campgrounds there on June 12 as part of a phased plan. And people are being asked to stay as local as possible when picking a place to visit, to pack out everything they bring, especially trash, and to practice social distancing.
The road to Artist Point is usually open from mid- to late-July until the first substantial snowfall of the year in late September or early October.
In 2019, it opened June 9 and closed Oct. 7.
Stay updated at wsdot.wa.gov. Type “Artist Point” into the search window.
