Railroad Grade and Park Butte are a great combination of hikes for those looking to explore the Mt. Baker area. My roommate and I backpacked up to Easton Glacier via Railroad Grade Trail, set up camp near Easton Glacier, and took a day hike to Park Butte Lookout for sunset.
The forest road getting to the parking lot is a little rough. There are lots of potholes, but you should be fine in any car if you drive slow. My sedan made it just fine without any problems.
We started on the Park Butte Trail at 1:15 pm. Like WTA says, the first 2.4 miles of the Railroad Grade Trail follow the Park Butte Trail. You’ll pass through covered forests and meadows with some late-blooming wildflowers. About one mile in, you’ll cross a creek, there is a bridge to help you cross it, but your shoes may get a little wet. After 2 miles, take a sharp left to stay on the Park Butte Trail. Continuing straight will take you on the Scott Paul Trail. After 2.4 miles, you’ll reach another intersection with the option to continue on the Park Butte Trail or to merge with the Railroad Grade Trail. I took a right for the Railroad Grade Trail. The trail is easy to follow. After about a half a mile, you’ll hike alongside a ridge with gorgeous up-close views of Mt. Baker. We also saw a couple of marmots hanging out near the ridge!
We arrived at Easton Glacier at 5 pm and set up camp. We left our campsite for Park Butte at 6:30 pm and made it just in time for a stunning sunset. I recommend getting to the lookout right before sunset. You will enjoy panoramic views of Mt. Baker and the surrounding Cascades. We hiked back to our campsite at 7:45 pm and arrived at 8:15 pm right before it got dark. It was a very clear night, perfect for stargazing.
Final tip: Make sure you bring all of your water with you. I saw only a couple of small streams that you could get water from along the trail.
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