There is really no such thing as Lake Ann Trail from my POV. There is a pathway that leads to Lake…read moreAnn, but if your sole intention is hiking to Lake Ann, you're doing yourself a disservice. Lake Ann is mediocre. It's an average looking lake with no redeeming qualities. Let me explain what the trail to Lake Ann is really about... It's part of the much bigger MAPLE PASS TRAIL. Yes, Maple Pass is what you want!!! It's a showstopper! All Lake Ann offers is a little side-trek walk to an alpine bowl shoreline. But Maple Pass is an outstanding 7.5 mile loop trail going high above, over and around Lake Ann for stunning panoramic vista point perspectives of the Rainy Lake section of North Cascades National Park. Although there are so many wonderful hiking trails at North Cascades, I highly suggest including Maple Pass as part of your itinerary. Only heading to the "toe" of Lake Ann won't provide a successful journey or wining feeling in any sort of memorable way. Lol, if I haven't reiterated it enough, Maple Pass is the real hero trail! Let me back up just one moment... This Lake Ann - Maple Pass Trail is located in the Rainy Lake Picnic Area of the park. Be aware of this. It's not to be confused with the other side of Highway 20 and the Rainy Lake Trails side. The Picnic Area is what you want! I stopped on by around 1:30pm back over peak summertime visitation season and the Rainy Lake Picnic Area parking lot was completely full. I had to park along the shoulder of Highway 20 and walk 5 minutes to the trailhead. A lot of people were parked on Highway 20 which offers enough spacing between your car and passing traffic to feel safe. Although it's free to visit North Cascades National Park, it's a $5 fee to hike at the Rainy Lake Picnic Area. I'd suggest to be prepared with a $5 bill and or check (with a pen) to pay at the self-service station. I don't believe they accepted credit cards from what I can recall. Btw, if you are curious as to what Rainy Lake actually looks like, if you veer left from the trailhead, it's a casual 0.9 mile walk (each way) along flat ground. But Rainy Lake is nothing special either. Just like Lake Ann, I'd skip Rainy Lake. Start the hike to Maple Pass because it could take half the day, especially if you spend time at the summit admiring the sweeping views. And if you are curious as to what Lake Ann may look like, you'll find the side path for it right before the elevated climb beginning up towards Maple Pass. Overall, I'd rate Maple Pass as strenuous, but if you manage your time well and stop for photos, you'll be handsomely rewarded with dramatic sights looking down upon Lake Ann and even be eye level with the rugged peaks of the North Cascades Mountain Range! Trekking higher on Maple Pass...Heather Pass is about 3/4ths of the way up the mountain. And it's here at Heather Pass where the scenery starts to thrill. Eventually the entire 360 degree landscape opens up with unlimited opportunities to bask in the glow of nature. At this point, Lake Ann will look like a little blip on the radar in the context of how high up the mountainside you are. It's at the height of the hike and coming upon Maple Pass where I felt contentment knowing all the hard work and grinding uphill was worth it. Finally, the descent back down the mountainside starts with an immediate set of switchbacks among a gorgeous cliffside backdrop before reentering below the tree-line horizon again. This back-half section finishing the total loop will add an extra 90 or so minutes making the entire Maple Pass Trail 5 hours long (including briefly stopping at Lake Ann), which is more than manageable for any moderately motivated hiker. Overall, North Cascades is one of the most underappreciated national parks in the USA and there's an abundance of amazing hikes here that barely get any sort of recognition. Although Lake Ann doesn't stand out whatsoever, it's Maple Pass Trail climbing above the bowl that Lake Ann's situated in that's the ultimate prize for the difficult endeavor.

First, the bad news: this trail is uphill both-ways…read more Sure, you'll feel cool hiking in. "Wow, this is easy", you'll exclaim. It's easy because you're losing 500 ft of gain, right off the bat. You're gonna have to go back up on the way out! Anyway, it's a great trail. It can have lots of downed trees on it early season and it can take a while to melt out so, DO YOUR RESEARCH! Some years there's snow on the trail well into August! The trail ends at Lake Ann. It's a gorgeous area. Only climbers should start to venture out of the Lake Ann area and towards the mountain. #safetyfirst

This trail is how you climb Mt Shuksan via the Sulphide Glacier route…read more It's not "hard", but I'll be honest with you...it kinda sucks. It is not well-maintained in parts and it can be easy to lose your way. You're in the trees, dicking around with logs, it's not good. Eventually you'll get out of the trees though, and be on your way. Sulphide is a great intro to climbing on Shuksan, enjoy the climb!

One of the most iconic, gorgeous, and fun-to-climb mountains in the Cascades…read more It's probably my #1 favorite. "Mt Baker" ski resort is actually located right on this mountain. Shuksan has numerous super-classic routes: Fisher Chimneys (rock, glaciers, snow, a little bit of everything), North Face (high angle goodness), Sulphide Glacier (great beginner ski mountaineering route), and White Salmon glacier (not so classic...actually). If you don't care about climbing, Artist's Point is one of the most iconic places to photograph the peak.

As I start this review I see a picture of someone doing a climb to the peak in this entry on Yelp…read more I'm not nearly that rugged or adventurous but Mount Shuksan is a beautiful mountain peak to see! You get fantastic views of it at Picture Lake and up at Artist Point. At the top of Artist Point you get a great panoramic view of the area. Mount Shuksan is a non volcanic peak and while Mount Baker which is the other major peak you see at the point is volcanic. Mount Shuksan is also in the North Cascades National Park while Mount Baker is in the Mount Baker National Forest area. So you are very close to a couple of boundaries in this area... and of course farther north is Canada. When we went to the Artist Point area there was some haze from forest fires but that didn't stop us from getting some really great pictures of the scenery. I was most taken with Mount Shuksan and I wound up taking a lot more pictures of that peak than Mount Baker but the whole area is a true sight to behold.

This was a great day trip when we stayed in Bellingham. There's lots to see and the area is so…read morebeautiful. Whether you are a hiker or you just want pretty views, there's a lot worth driving for. We went in September so we didn't do any snow activities. The weather was cool and we just went for the cool views and the scenic drive. By the time we got to Artist's Point, it was VERY windy and a little bit colder, but the walk was nice and the views were great of the mountain. Picture Lake is a beautiful spot, although I wish they have more picnic tables. You can also stay in a cabin in this area, which sounded awesome. Maybe next time. We went during COVID times, and not everyone was wearing a mask, so be sure to keep your distance. Also, if you're into Pokemon, I took over a gym and my Pokemon lasted several days in there before being kicked out. I couldn't believe it!

Beautiful area with snowy mountains and beautiful waterfalls. Definitely a great drive and you can…read moreget out and hike and walk!

Lake Ann did not disappoint. Breathtaking vistas, meadows, glaciers, and of course the lake. It is…read morerated on the Washington Trails Association as a HARD hike. Approximately 8.2 miles round trip 1900 feet elevation gain, with the highest point 4900 feet. I do recommend getting there early, before 9am, as the parking lot is very small and fills quickly! 4 stars because of the crowds. The trail starts downhill which is a confidence booster especially when you are backpacking. But what goes down, must come up! The last mile is probably what classifies this hike as hard. Hiking up, over loose gravel and boulders and up to almost 5000 feet elevation is difficult for us non-Colorado living people. On the trail you cross many small creek beds that were almost all dried up when we went here at the end of the summer. There is plenty of water at the lake for water source. There are multiple well groomed areas for tents along the trail uphill from the lake. I appreciated these spots at night when the mosquitoes came out and we're a nuisance (only when getting water). Speaking of night... do dress for cold weather! You do get the breeze coming off of Shuksan's glaciers. Very little salmon berries left on the main trail but plenty of huckleberries left. Night time is beautiful. The sky is completely full of stars and the sound of waterfalls coming out of the glaciers is relaxing. No campfires allowed at the lake. Pack out trash and human and animal waste. Trailhead provides blue bags for this.

If you're a hiker: Lake Ann is a gorgeous place to camp! You have sweeping views of Mt Shuksan and…read moreit's cracking Upper and Lower Glaciers. Rushing waterfalls augment the flanks of these enormous sheets of ice. The lake is a deep blue and there is plenty of flat space to find the perfect camp site. If you're a climber: this makes for a LONG summit day. Best to keep moving and camp higher on the peak.

Spontaneous Saturday trip to Diablo Lake in Northern Washington but we parked and stayed in Thunder…read moreKnob Trailhead. We drove for almost 3 hours, but when we were looking for a place to park, I lost my signal sevice! Diablo Lake is big and long! We found a spot to relax and swim, but the water was 10°C (so cold, hahaha!). It's still a gorgeous place to visit! Remember, it's better with chairs, snacks, kayaks, paddleboards, and drinks! It's so nice to set aside city and technology life! Just for sure, we are looking to rest and swim and not to hike! But still it is a beautiful nature to see

A vibrant trail with some sensational views! The Thunder Knob trail is a short but moderate 3.5…read moremile out and back trail that's located within North Cascades National Park. The trail begins just behind Diablo Lake and crosses over the beautiful rushing waters of Colonial Creek. It then begins to gently switchback through a lush forest that's filled with beautiful Douglas Fir and Western Hemlock trees. The trail is mostly shaded but features a few breaks within the trees that will reveal some amazing glimpses of the snowcapped mountaintops. As you ascend up the trail, you're rewarded with gorgeous views of the forest and mountains. The forest vegetation is super versatile. I was able to spot daisies, ferns, Western Hemlocks, Douglas Firs, an array of different wildflowers, and so on. The views are the best at the top, of course. There's this stunning vista point that features an aerial view of Diablo Lake with the striking North Cascades Mountain Range in the background. If there was ever a time to get a photo while on this hike, THIS is where you need to do it. It's simply breathtaking to witness. This is also a great spot to bring a picnic and/or take a lunch or snack break for heading back down to finish the second half of the hike. What I genuinely loved about this trail (aside from the views) was how incredibly green it is. The vibrancy is out of this world. Also, to see how clear Diablo Lake is from the top is just insane. It doesn't even look real, but it definitely is! The best part about hiking this trail is being able to literally walk right down to lake to relax after you've finished your hike. It's the perfect reward, and hiking this trail was truly a wonderful experience.

This hike is very intense but very pretty. The beginning part of the hike is full of switchbacks in…read morea wooded area. Then, you cross through an overgrown thicket that may contain stinging nettles. There are lots of files and bugs during this part. After the thicket is another wooded area with a couple of streams running through the path (but there are bridges so you're shoes probably won't get wet). Towards the end of this section, there is a fork in the road that is kind of hard to see. One path takes you to the lookout tower and the other takes you to mirror lake, where you can call overnight with a permit. If you're going to the tower, the next area you'll walk through is the spectacular Alpine meadow full of flowers and the beginnings of views of the surrounding mountains. After that the remainder of the hike until the top is relatively short. There is a lookout tour at the top that you can climb and view all the surrounding mountains and foothills, such as Mt Baker and Mt pilchuck. The hike took me (a semi novice hiker) and my friends 4 hours to get to the top and 3 hours getting down (going downhill is tricky because it's very steep, and you'll probably be tired). This hike is super hard and long but worth it for the view, at least for me.

A Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass is required. Day passes are available near…read morethe bathrooms. This hiking area is heavily populated with rangers so do yourself a favor and purchase the day pass if needed. The parking lot has about 160 spaces and every single space was taken by the time we completed our hike. This is area draws large crowds. There are several trail-heads that can be accessed from this parking area. The views are amazing! This hike can be anywhere from 4 miles to 9 miles round-trip. The choice is yours to decide how far to hike. Ptarmigan Ridge is considered "intermediate." As always, listen to your body and know your own limitations. The terrain is rocky and narrow at times. Due to the high altitude, expect snow no matter what the season. There is minimal shade on this hike so be sure to wear a hat and sunscreen. If you have hiking poles, it's a good idea to pack them. Poles come in handy when crossing large patches of snow. Pack plenty of water! This whole hike is above-timberline. Lots of alpine trees, meadows, snow patches and wildflowers. During the day of our hike many people witnessed mountain goats in the meadows. Unfortunately, we did not spot a single mountain goat. Bummer! Overall, if you have time for only one hike in the Mount Baker area, make it this one. The views are incredible, the hike is achievable, and the wildflower medley is stunning. As always, if you pack it in, be sure to pack it out.

With sweeping views and wonderful vistas, everyone should try this trail. I have lead those from…read morethe city (who were not the hiking types) and the trail is easy enough for about a mile/mile and a half to soak up the views and get a taste of what this area has to offer. You will still need solid walking shoes as the trail is covered in gravel and rocks with a large portion of the trail extending from a slope. The best time to visit is in August through early October, but preferably August since the snow will be completely gone from the trails and the days will be warm and sunny. You may see Pikas, largish rodents that live in the hills. You can hear them chirping and they are cute little suckers. Bears have been spotted in the early season, since they are waking up from their winter slumber. I have camped overnight on this trail during this time and you are required to keep food up and away from your tent site. But I have never had issues in the past years that I have camped here.