Park Butte Lookout – a Visual Tour

The Park Butte Lookout straddles a narrow ridge on the south slopes of Mount Baker, in northwestern Washington State.

The views from the lookout are amazing. To the west the Twin Sisters rise above the South Fork Nooksack River valley, orange rock above a carpet of green. The Middle Fork basin stretches to the northeast, towards the lights of Bellingham. On a clear day you can see the twinkle of Puget sound shimmering.

Baker towers above, draped in white.The sharp fangs of the Black Buttes adorn the upper western slopes of the mountain, adding color to the whiteness.

The massive Easton Glacier droops down to meet the upper end of the Railroad Grade, a prominent lateral moraine formed by the retreating glacier.

 

The trail is not difficult, 3.5 miles and 2,200 feet of elevation gain. Leaving the parking area (here are directions) the trail meanders up to a crossing of Rocky Creek and then switchbacks up under a dense canopy to Morovitz Meadows and stunning views of the mountain. A bit farther along and you can see the lookout, perched above, beckoning.

On clear nights when there is no moon the Milky Way can be seen clearly from the Park Butte Lookout. Night Sky Photo tours to the lookout in 2016 are filling up fast! here is a link with more details and a way to register.

This last summer I visited the Park Butte Lookout 4 times, in June, July, August and October. I spent the night in or near the lookout for the last 3 visits, once alone. The Lookout is maintained by the Skagit Alpine Club, and they do a fantastic job of repairing the lookout for all to enjoy. Canvas Wrapped Prints and Fine Art prints of these images are available here.

Interested in a North Cascades Photo Tour? This is but one of many spectacular locations we visit. Have a look at some of the other places we visit.