Skagit County

Top Spots

Sauk Mountain Summit 5,541'

Skagit County, Washington

4.3

4 mi / 1200 ft gain

Even from the Trailhead, the views overlooking the Skagit River valley, all the way out toward Mount Vernon, are outstanding. The trail follows 20 tight switchbacks as it makes it's way 600 feet up to the southern crest of the summit ridge. This is a steep slope and it's possible to look straight down and see all the zigzags below you. In the spring the wildflowers are the best around along th...

Hike the Boulder River Trail

Arlington, Washington

4.3

8.6 mi / 700 ft gain

Boulder River is a great outing for those days when you feel like you just need a good hike through the forest. This makes for a nice long day hike, but because both of the large waterfalls are within the first half of the trail, you can still see the falls without going the whole way. The trailhead starts at the end of French Creek Rd. No pass or permit is needed, so just park and hit the trai...

Hike the East Bank of Baker Lake

Concrete, Washington

4.3

9.2 mi / 978 ft gain

Access the hike from a 26.5-mile drive down Baker Lake Rd to the Baker Lake Trailhead. Note that the last 6 miles are unpaved and rather rough. The trail starts at low elevation so there's rarely snow or condition concerns, even in early spring. The trail runs alongside and then crosses the Baker River on a large suspension bridge very early on - there's beautiful views up and down the river, ...

Three Fingers Lookout

Arlington, Washington

4.5

14.31 mi / 4357 ft gain

Approximately 11 miles east of Granite Falls, WA, on the Mt. Loop Highway, turn onto Forest Service road 41 and follow this road for 18.0 miles to the trailhead. The road is quite rough and it is recommended you have a four-wheel drive vehicle. There is a washout about halfway along the road, and many drivers stop here and hike or bike the rest of the way to the trailhead. The trailhead sign i...

Dock Butte

Concrete, Washington

4.5

3.92 mi / 1388 ft gain

Dock Butte is an easy hike offering truly spectacular 360 degree views of the Mt. Baker region. In summer this summit can be done as an easy walk up. It is especially good during the late summer for hikers and introducing someone into hiking. From the parking lot the trail goes through forest with an option to go left down to Blue Lake. Stay right as you gain elevation in open alpine for 3.7 ...

Anderson and Watson Lake

Concrete, Washington

5.68 mi / 1165 ft gain

The drive up to the starting point of the trail to Anderson and Watson Lake was easy, but at the end it gets a little tricky - the service road is sharp gravel and runs for about 10 miles to the trailhead. Some spots are steep and there are large potholes, but slow and steady wins the race. There's a lot of viewpoints on the way up as well, so make sure to stop and stare! The beginning is a ca...

White Chuck Mountain Trail

Darrington, Washington

3.89 mi / 1562 ft gain

Hike Lazy Bear Falls

Marblemount, Washington

3.0

To get to Lazy Bear Falls, take Bacon Creek Road off the North Cascade Highway for 5 miles. At the 3-way fork, take the left road, which will lead you down and over a bridge crossing Bacon Creek. From here, the road will require 4x4 and high clearance.From here, continue up the road for about 0.5 miles, at which point, the road takes a switch back and a fire pit should be visible on the left si...

Park Butte Lookout

Concrete, Washington

4.5

7.64 mi / 2100 ft gain

This place is really the stuff of fairy tales. Where else can you find a tiny cabin with 360-degree views of stunning mountain scenery? To the west, you can see all the way to Bellingham and the Puget Sound. To the south and east lie the jagged North Cascades. And the entire northern horizon is dominated by Koma Kulshan, or Mount Baker to us non-natives. To get here, start with an easy hike t...

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