TLDR: A popular, moderate loop trail that delivers some of Washington’s best views, without dragging you far from the parking lot/road!
Road: Paved all the way - it starts out of Mt Baker Ski Area.
- Note: It’s a LONG drive from Seattle/the Eastside. We left Seattle around ~6:30AM, and arrived at the Bagley Lakes TH around 9:40AM (this included stopping for coffee). Do yourself a favour and make this a day trip, and prepare for a LONGER drive home 🥲.
Bugs: They were out there, but today we had a gentle breeze and cloud coverage. Only an issue when we stopped for long. Pack some bug spray if you find bugs bothersome.
Water: Plenty of streams to filter water, but I think hikers could get away with showing up with ~2 liters.
Trail Conditions: Mix of compact dirt, talus and gravel. Well maintained over all, but definitely on the rockier side. Watch your step, there are many opportunities to trip and fall. I wore trail runners, and had a pole. Be cautious.
Trip Stats: 7.19mi RT, 1689ft gain.
- Note: We started at the Bagley Lakes TH, which may have added some distance to our trip.
Takeaways:
- If you look at the map beforehand, there are a couple different places you could start the Chain Lakes Loop.
- We started at Bagley Lakes TH. We went counterclockwise going up to Herman Saddle - the grade is quite gentle. On the return trip, we were rudely surprised to find that the trail going down from Artist Point (that hugs the road) has multiple sets of set steep stairs heading. Not sure if it makes sense to do this part first?
- Worried about crowds?:
- Consider going during a weekday.
- For a Friday in August: just a few parties when we started on the trail at ~9:40AM. By ~12:30PM, the trail was buzzing with many parties. By ~3PM, tons of people were out and enjoying. Everyone was in good spirits! Lots of dogs!
- This is a great day hike, probably an even better overnight backpacking trip.
- Not much else to add about the amazing views. I’ve been here before on a cloudy/wet day, and the vibe was still fantastic.
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