Itching to make that first trip to Artist Point? Highway is clear, though services are limited
Summer hiking choices in the mountains are expanding this weekend as the road to Artist Point opened at 8 a.m. Friday, the first full day of summer.
Artist Point, a summertime tourist destination and the starting point for several popular hikes in the North Cascades high country, offers a breathtaking 360-degree view that includes Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan and other Cascades peaks in Whatcom County.
Snow-clearing efforts began in early June on the steep and curvy 2.7-mile section from Heather Meadows to the parking lot and viewpoint at an altitude of some 5,000 feet, the Washington State Department of Transportation said.
Artist Point is at the east end of the Mount Baker Highway, and it closes to vehicles after fall’s first major snowstorm.
More than 30 feet of snow had to be cleared this season, WSDOT said in announcing the summer opening Thursday.
Seasonal snowfall was far below normal, thanks to an El Niño weather pattern.
A total of 508 inches of snow fell at the Mt. Baker Ski Area from September 2023 through April 2024. “Snow water equivalent” of the North Puget Sound snowpack was at 82% of normal on Thursday.
WSDOT said that services at Artist Point were “limited” but didn’t say if the restrooms are open for the season.
Parking at Artist Point and anywhere in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest requires an annual pass or a $5 day-use pass that can be bought at the Glacier Public Service Center on Mount Baker Highway east of Glacier.
