Mount Baker — Scenic Route 9 to Artist Point and Home Again

Location: Bothell → Arlington → Sedro-Woolley → Mount Baker → Artist Point → Mill Creek → Bothell, Washington
Type: Road Trip / Scenic Drive
Distance: 255.5 miles
Status: WORTH-IT 🔵

Google Maps - Artist Point

Why We Went

Some road trips are about getting somewhere.

Others are about everything between here and there.

Our trip to Mount Baker was definitely the second kind.

We left from the Mill Creek Area, heading first to Arlington, taking the scenic route north on WA-9, eventually making our way toward Mount Baker with a few stops along the way. There was a little history, a little railroad nostalgia, plenty of mountain scenery, a picnic lunch, some easy hiking, and eventually one of the best viewpoints in Washington.

And, of course, there was the Jaguar F-Type R.

With the top down for most of the day, the F-Type got to do what it does best — eat up the miles on beautiful winding roads while we enjoyed the scenery of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

It was a 255.5-mile day.

And a very good one.

First Stop — Nakashima Barn

We took WA-9 out of Arlington and made our first stop at the Nakashima Barn.

We had packed a quick snack, so this was less about a formal stop and more about taking a few minutes to get out of the car, stretch our legs, and have something to eat.

But the barn itself is worth noticing.

The Nakashima Barn is the surviving remnant of the Nakashima family's farm and sits at the end of the Centennial Trail. The site carries a remarkable history of a Japanese-American family whose life was disrupted by World War II and Japanese-American incarceration.

For us, it was a quiet beginning to what would become a very scenic day.

Sedro-Woolley

From there we continued north toward Sedro-Woolley, where we made another quick stop to stretch our legs and take a look at some of the area's railroad history, Puget Sound & Baker River Railway #2.

This was one of those stops that doesn't require a lot of time but adds another layer to the road trip.

Then it was back in the Jaguar and toward Mount Baker.

Picture Lake

As we climbed toward Mount Baker, the scenery changed quickly.

Forest.

Mountain roads.

Alpine country.

And then Picture Lake.

The name pretty much says it all.

This is one of those places where you almost have to stop, because the view looks like somebody deliberately composed it for a photograph.

Mount Shuksan rising beyond the lake makes this one of the iconic viewpoints in the Mount Baker area.

And yes, there were pictures.

Heather Meadows

From Picture Lake we continued up toward Heather Meadows.

By now, lunch was calling.

We packed a picnic lunch and took it with us to the Heather Meadows Visitor Center, where we found a place to sit, eat, and simply take in the views.

This was one of those moments when there wasn't really any reason to hurry.

Good food.

Mountain air.

Mount Baker scenery.

And nowhere else we needed to be.

Heather Meadows and the accompanying visitor center is a general area near Mount Baker where several trails of varying levels of difficulty. Visitors here are surrounded by heather and huckleberry meadows, views of gorgeous mountain peaks with shimmering lakes in the foreground. Don't be fooled by the tiny trees, some of the mountain hemlock are more than 900-years old, growing mere centimeters in years due to the short amount of time that this area is not under snow.

Final Destination — Artist Point

Then we continued to our final destination:

Artist Point.

At the end of the road, the landscape opens up into something considerably bigger than anything we'd seen earlier in the day.

From Artist Point, there are opportunities for short hikes and viewpoints overlooking the surrounding valleys and peaks.

We took some time to walk around and take in the views before turning around and beginning the trip home.

This is the kind of place where you can easily understand why people come back year after year.

The road gets you there.

But once you're there, the road almost becomes secondary.

Artist Point is located at the very end of Mount Baker Highway, State Route 542 and boasts 360-degree views of Mount Shuksan and Mount Baker, as well as access to a variety of trails. The road to Artist Point, 2.7 miles long (milepost 54.55 to 57.26) and more than 5,000 feet above sea level, is typically buried under snow and closed October through June. Artist Point typically opens in late June or early July and remains open until the first substantial snowfall of the year, which usually comes in late September or early October.  Be aware that a Northwest Forest Pass is required to park at Artist Point.

And Then We Saw a Bear

On the way back down the mountain, we got one more surprise.

A bear.

It was busy foraging for late-summer blueberries along the roadside.

We stopped long enough to watch from a safe distance and enjoy the sight before continuing down the mountain.

You can plan a road trip.

You can plan the stops.

You can plan the route.

You can't plan for a bear.

Those are the moments that make a trip memorable.

The Jaguar

And then there was the other constant companion of the day.

The Jaguar F-Type R.

We had the top down for most of the trip, which made the drive through the mountains that much better.

There's something about driving a car like the F-Type through the mountains with the roof down.

You hear the engine.

You smell the forest.

You feel the temperature change as you climb.

And you get the full panorama instead of looking at the mountains through glass.

The roads through the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest were made for this kind of driving.

The Jaguar was more than transportation that day.

It was part of the experience.

Heading Home

Eventually, of course, we had to turn around.

While we did not stop this time, low water levels, we also recommend stopping at Nooksack Falls. You can find out more about a previous visit we did here.

We headed back toward the lowlands and eventually picked up I-5 south, making our way home through the Mill Creek area and back toward Bothell via Prairie and Belfast.

The mountains disappeared behind us.

The road flattened out.

The top eventually went back up.

And the 255.5-mile loop came to an end.

The Route

Arlington → WA-9 → Nakashima Barn → Sedro-Woolley → Picture Lake → Heather Meadows → Artist Point → Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest → I-5 → Mill Creek → Prairie → Belfast → Bothell

It's a long day, but it's not a difficult road trip.

The real attraction is the variety.

Historic sites.

Small towns.

Mountain roads.

Lakes.

Alpine meadows.

Picnic stops.

Hiking.

Wildlife.

And a whole lot of beautiful Washington scenery.

What We Like

• Scenic WA-9
• Nakashima Barn
• Sedro-Woolley
• Picture Lake
• Heather Meadows
• Artist Point
• Mount Baker scenery
• Beautiful winding mountain roads
• Short hiking opportunities
• Picnic opportunities
• Wildlife — including an unexpected bear
• A great route for the Jaguar F-Type

Practical Notes

This is a full-day road trip, especially if you want to stop along the way and enjoy the scenery rather than simply drive to Artist Point and back.

Give yourself plenty of time.

There are numerous opportunities for hiking, photography, picnicking, and simply stopping to enjoy the scenery.

The upper Mount Baker area is also very seasonal. Weather, snow, road conditions, and access can change significantly throughout the year, so check current conditions before heading out.

And if you're taking a sports car, this is a particularly enjoyable route when the roads are clear and dry.

We had the F-Type out with the top down for most of the day.

That's hard to beat.

Who This Is For

This is a great road trip for:

• Scenic-drive lovers
• Sports-car enthusiasts
• Photographers
• Hikers
• Picnic lovers
• Mountain and alpine scenery fans
• People who enjoy historic roadside stops
• Anyone looking for a full-day escape from the Seattle area

Our Take

255.5 miles. One very good day.

The road out was as much fun as the destination.

We started with a quiet snack at the Nakashima Barn, wandered through Sedro-Woolley, stopped at Picture Lake, had a picnic at Heather Meadows, and finally made our way to Artist Point.

Then came the bear.

And then came the long, winding drive home with the Jaguar's top down.

That's pretty much our definition of a successful road trip.

No schedule.

No rush.

Just a beautiful road, a great car, a mountain waiting at the end of it, and enough unexpected moments along the way to make us want to do it again.

WORTH-IT 🔵