Mt. Baker Places Hike Heather Meadows, WA

Bagley Lakes

Summer–fall; snowshoe in winter

An easy two-mile basin walk below the ski area, and a back door onto the Chain Lakes Loop

Alpine tarns and rocky knolls in the Bagley Lakes basin at Heather Meadows with Mount Baker beyond
Photo: U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region. Public domain. Edited.
Map Heather Meadows, WA · Open in Google Maps
From our cabins 40 min from the A-frame · 45 min from the Red Cabin
Hours Days shift seasonally up here — check before you drive. Last verified August 17, 2026.

Bagley Lakes is the easy Heather Meadows walk with some actual hiking in it: two miles through the basin below the ski area, 150 feet of gain, topping out around 4,300 feet. When Picture Lake felt like a photo stop rather than a walk, this is the next step, and it shares the same short high-country season.

It’s also a trailhead worth knowing about. The Chain Lakes Loop can be started here instead of at Artist Point — just know that starting low means paying about 700 feet over 0.8 miles simply to reach Artist Point, which is a rough way to begin a day. We cover that route choice, and everything else up here, in our best hikes near Mt. Baker guide.

Know before you go

  • Round trip: 2.0 miles
  • Elevation gain: 150 feet; high point 4,300 feet
  • Trailhead: paved access at Heather Meadows, about 40 minutes from our A-frame and 45 from the red cabin
  • Northwest Forest Pass ($5 day / $30 annual) or America the Beautiful pass required — buy it while you still have cell service
  • Heather Meadows is a snowshoe zone November through April

Nearby & similar

Mount Shuksan reflected in Picture Lake at Heather Meadows in autumn color

Picture Lake

The Mt. Shuksan reflection shot — a 0.6-mile paved loop, genuinely stroller-friendly

 The North Fork Nooksack River flowing through evergreen forest beside the Horseshoe Bend trail corridor

Horseshoe Bend

Mossy river miles along the North Fork Nooksack — the low hike that works all year

 Mount Baker glowing beyond the Artist Ridge and Huntoon Point landscape at Artist Point

Artist Ridge – Huntoon Point

A 5,150-foot viewpoint 1.2 miles from the car — the best view-per-step on the mountain

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