Took the trail counter clockwise, starting near Heather Meadows lodge/the intersection of Wild Goose trail and Chain Lakes Loop. Many cars bypassed this lot in favor of Artist Point but this is the trail beginning I prefer.

Facilities well maintained at the parking lot. This was the first time I saw a Forest Park ranger actually monitoring parked cars and verifying they had passes in their windows/handing out tickets if they didn't. Make sure you have your Northwest Forest pass or stop at the Glacier Public Service Center for a day pass.

The trail itself was beautiful - I've done this hike a number of times in the past. Only a couple spots on Wild Goose trail at the end of the hike that had some overgrowth onto the trail but otherwise Chain Lakes was fantastic. Berries are all but gone at this point in the season, but the red foliage colors were amazing.

I did not encounter any trail maintenance/closures/detours on my route but I didn't really go on the Bagley Lakes trail at all. Just the trails marked Chain Lakes Loop and Wild Goose.

Took the trail marked "Wild Goose" from the Heather Meadows parking lot, which basically goes to the visitor center about 3/4 of a mile away. To reach Artist Point is a much further, harder hike (one poster listed 4.4 steep miles RT, not the 1.5 listed on this description). I only mention it because a group of hikers I encountered on the trail was confused, thinking Artist Point was only a mile away.

However, for a short, not-steep hike from Heather Meadows, this one can't be beat. There were fireweed, yarrow, mimulus, aster and other wildflowers in bloom, and the blueberries are perfectly ripe today and very sweet.

This is a great trail for an evening hike and a way to avoid finding parking at Artist Point! Several of us were attending the Tacoma Mountaineers Mt Baker weekend and left from the Mountaineers Lodge around 5:30pm. Round trip from the Lodge was just over 4 miles with 869 feet of gain. To leave from the Lodge, you must walk along the Mt. Baker Highway to the Heather Meadows parking lot.

We enjoyed many delicious berries coming and going! Kept it at a nice, relaxing pace. The trail definitely is step in places and the WTA stairs are awesome! They really help with the footing! Thank you!

We enjoyed our dinner while the sun set on Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan still glowed with longer light. The air quality was great and the sky was so blue! As the sun dipped, we layered up and began our trek back to the Lodge before it was too dark. We did bring headlamps but only needed them to let motorists know that we were roadside. 

Took my sister out to the Mt Baker/Artist Point area for an epic adventure! I have been here maybe 100 times in my life for winter ski work and backcountry ski trips, but I've never gotten to hike this area in summer. 

Date: Sunday Aug 13th, 2023

Trail Stats: 7.9mi / 1850ft elev gain

Conditions: Hot, dry, and buggy

Trail summary: We parked at the Bagley Lake Trailhead and headed counter-clockwise around the lake with the goal of hitting Artist Point that afternoon. 

The trail is in awesome shape. I was in wonder throughout with its consistent quality of grade. Gentle, really! My sister did not think so though and found the 800ft of elevation gain to the saddle exhaustive. We hadn't judged the difficulty level of doing the loop in this direction. In hindsight, starting at Artist Point, navigating around Table Mountain, and then down to Bagley may be the right choice for the casual hiker.

Near the lower lakes, we slowed down in the heat which contributed to the copious amounts of black fly bites I'm currently nursing. I ended up caching my sister at the Artist Point parking lot with cell reception and snacks, then running down the Wild Goose to grab the car and drive back up. This part took about 40 minutes while waiting for uphill hikers to pass. The loop was quite crowded, and I wished we'd been there at sunrise. 

I would not do this one in summer again unless you can move quickly in crowds and hot temps. Otherwise I shall return for another winter backcountry trip! 

NOTE: Wild Goose Trail actually goes between Heather Meadows and Huntoon Point via Artist Point, so 4.4 miles RT up 1,100 ft. Make sure you include the 1.2 mile extension from Artist point to Huntoon Point.  Still enough snow patches to make your dog happy, plenty of water too.  Trail includes the 134 Steps as you approach Artist Point.  See more info and pix at www.deetezellimountainstories.wordpress.com