Baker Lake Trail Gallery

Click on any image to go to the Trail Construction Specification Page

The Baker Lake Trail is located on the Mt. Baker Ranger District, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, WA. Situated along the east bank of Baker Lake, this project involved the construction of the middle seven miles of the 14-mile trail. The trail location followed an historic lumbering and mining route dating from the 19th century. At the time of construction, very little of the early trail remained in evidence.

Long sections of the new trail were laid out along the rocky cliffs that drop into Baker Lake on its eastern shore. Construction required the drilling of more than two miles of blast holes, and the consumption of 3,000 pounds of dynamite and other explosives over a two-year period. There was no possibility for overland access to the trail in this rugged area, so construction machinery was barged across the lake to Noisy Creek and the trail was built from there southward with logistical support provided by skiff and barge. Construction of the trail also involved the building of a number of bridges, including Noisy Creek (77'), Silver Creek (50'), Blum Creek (100'), and the Baker River Cable Stay Bridge (240'). This low-elevation trail is accessible to recreationists throughout much of the year.