The Washington State Department of Transportation opened the spectacular Artist Point road today, July 24, for its brief season. The last 2.7 miles of the Mt. Baker Highway (SR 542) is at 5,000 feet; it’s usually covered in 20-30 feet of snow and closed from October through June (last winter, 2011, it wasn’t open at all). Don’t miss this brief seasonal window to make the trek, but do it on a crystal clear day for the full “show.”
Once you reach the end of the road, which at this point is a series of narrow hairpin turns, park your vehicle (your tow-vehicle or smaller RV only), grab your fleece jacket and wander up the trail a bit. You don’t have to go far before you’re rewarded with some of the most breathtaking mountain views in the entire U.S. West. Mt. Shuksan, Mt. Baker, and a dozen or more snow-capped Cascade peaks make you feel as if you’re on the roof of the world!
Silver Fir is the closest campground to Artist Point; 48 miles up SR 542. It’s open until Sept. 16. Here’s the link: http://goo.gl/qzqBz
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