The road is great with exception to the last 2 miles, there are some potholes there but nothing that bad with some caution. The water flow and levels at stream crossings are way higher than normal probably due to the heat causing glacial melt making it more like a small river. Had I known it was going to be so high I would have brought a pair of shoes to do the crossing in so I wouldn’t have to hike with wet shoes. The bridge at the first stream crossing is gone and the 2nd crossing has a bridge which helps but it’s still challenging to not get your feet wet. The flow on the way back had obviously increased and I ended up just walking through the water. This might make it difficult if you are hiking with a dog.

Kulshan is visible within 1 mile of the trailhead and gets closer and closer as you near the lookout. The trail is very exposed so be sure to bring plenty of water! No bugs. I saw a note that the lookout will be under maintenance for those that are interested in trying to camp thetr.

Gorgeous hike with amazing views!

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These are great trails with truly world-class views!

The forest roads to the trailhead are unpaved, but we saw multiple sedans at the lot. There are some minor potholes right before you reach the trailhead but just take it slow.

We reached the lot around 6:15am, and there were tons of spots. One bathroom was stocked, and the other was out of toilet paper.

From the trailhead, the trail weaves through the forest. There are two river crossings. The first one has small logs for crossing, the second has a ladder-type bridge. Both were easily navigated on the way up. With the hot temperatures and snow melt, when we headed back in the afternoon, the water was significantly higher and faster, and we saw a lot of people needing assistance to cross, especially on the log bridge.

Around the 2 mile mark, the trail splits for the lookout and railroad grade trail. We opted to do the lookout first and headed to the left into wildflower meadows. Great views of Baker along the way, as the trail gradually ascends with views here and there of the lookout. Getting up into the lookout is a bit of a very short scramble but the views of Baker, the surrounding peaks, and the lookout itself are amazing. We took some photos before heading back down to the trail split and this time heading up railroad grade.

Railroad grade starts with some stone steps up to campsites with great views of Baker. The trail dips down momentarily before coming back up onto the ridge. We saw tons of marmots along the ridge basking in the hot sun (check out MaoVador's trip report for photos). We followed the ridge up past many of the campers making their summit push and hung out on a ridge just above where hikers enter the glacier. The views were incredible. We had a quick snack before heading the long trek back to the car.

Unfortunately, the berries along much of the trail were not yet ripe.

Stats: 12.87 miles; 4495 elevation gain; 6 hours 57 mins; 2.7 avg. mph

The Middle Fork Road is in pretty good shape aside from a few big potholes. I parked at the Ridley Creek trailhead (end of the road) and walked down to the Elbow Lake trail. The river crossing was very, very scary for my dog. There is a dry log flat log with hand ropes, and taken slowly, it is not too bad. The trail is in good shape, but a bit brushy before reaching the lake. There are some cute places there to hang out or camp. Beyond the lake, there is one very big log to navigate around that would be difficult for someone with limited mobility. There was also quite a bit of wet vegetation in this area. The Elbow Lake Trail eventually comes to an intersection with the Bell Pass Trail. I stayed left and headed towards Mazama Park. The Bell Pass trail was in really good shape. Very comfortable, mostly shady hiking on good tread. There were several decent water sources to filter from. Once we reached Mazama Park, the flowers and views were excellent. The Bell Pass Trail passes through the park then ascends Bell Pass and meets the trail to Park Butte and Railroad Grade. These trails were in excellent shape and less busy than usual. After enjoying the views, the dog and I headed back down Bell Pass and turned right onto the Ridley Creek Trail. This path through Mazama Park is really pretty and pleasant. It is a bit swampy in sections, but nothing excessive or overly buggy. After leaving Mazama Park, the Ridley Creek trail was in decent shape despite being rocky in places. The final river crossing is equipped with a sturdy log bridge with rope handrails. The raging river did get the logs a bit wet, but the crossing was easier to navigate than the crossing on the Elbow Lake Trail.

Arrived at the trailhead around 6:20 AM, and a handful of parking spots were still available, but most were taken by the overnight campers. First stop was the Park Butte Lookout. The initial stretch of trail was a gentle warm-up, a flat and easily navigable path through the forest and meadow.

The first river crossing wasn't too difficult. The water level was low, and a few well-placed logs a bit upstream provided a dry path across. The second crossing had a bridge, making the main section simple, though a bit of rock hopping was needed on the other side to regain the trail. The rest of the route to the lookout was straightforward and not overly demanding, offering a pleasant and steady climb.

Reached the lookout to find just two people remaining from the night before, giving solitude to take in the spectacular views. After the customary photos and a moment to soak it all in, began the trek toward the Easton Glacier via the Railroad Grade trail.

Turning onto the Railroad Grade, the trail immediately transformed into a series of rocky steps before becoming a steady dirt path. The views along this section were incredible, with Mount Baker dominating the skyline and the glacier stretching ahead. We passed several friendly marmots basking in the sun before making it to Sandy Camp.

Took a break on the rocks before continuing the climb up through the various camps to the trail entrance of the glacier. The higher I got, the more vast and impressive the landscape became. After one more moment to sit and appreciate the immense scale of it all, we began the descent back to the car.

On the return trip, the day's heat had significantly raised the river levels, turning the once-simple crossings into a wet-shoe experience. While still manageable, it's a good lesson that an easy morning crossing can be much more challenging on the way back.

Stats: 13.4 miles, 4,521 ft vertical, 6:56 total time with almost 2 hrs of stops throughout the day.

I am calling this the Park Butte Elbow Lake Figure 8 loop.  It was a phenomenal figure 8 loop.  About 25 miles in length with 7,400 feet of gain!  Not a bad way to see the area.