baker lake

Great variety of things to see and do. Campgrounds, no resorts. Swimming beaches, boating, water skiing, fishing, wildlife (when lucky) photography, great variety of hiking options.

Very quiet after Labor Day. Beautiful and almost on the lake, just a short walk. Boat ramp and good fishing, I hear, though I didn't go. Camping sites are not real private, but after school starts, we had one area to ourselves. The best part---it's free after Labor Day

You must do this if you enjoy trail running. The day we did it was pouring rain though still fabulous.You can do the whole 50km but we opted for half. The trail is well maintained and elevation varies which makes it interesting.

Public beach and swimming location. The water is a bit cold as it glacier fed. Definitely will be going back there to camp. We were only on a day trip.

Last summer we camped at the Baker Lake Swift creek campground. The place itself was pretty nice. Neighbors, not so much. Apparently this is a well known “party place” for the locals. The second night was capped by a a scene from 10p-2a that surpassed even Jerry Springer standards. There were no camp hosts to be found and we couldn't call the police because there was no cell phone coverage. Actually kind of scary. When we pulled in we were greeted by our neighbors cars in our campsite. They were reasonable and pretty quick to move them. By early evening these neighbors were drunk and loud and their vocabulary was primarily composed of loudly slurred words I had been trying to avoid teaching my 5 and 8 year old girls. When I politely asked them to quiet down they promptly called me a few more of these names and started screaming louder. Not that it really mattered because they were already keeping us up. They remained quiet till about noon the next day. The next night we moved to share a friends camp site around the bend. Our 3rd party who remained behind described a scene of alcohol fueled domestic violence... No police or camp hosts on scene. Our friends were genuinely frightened and afraid to come out of their tent. Bottom line? Hard to get to but beautiful spot with a nice lake that is good for swimming and boating in the shadow of Mt Baker. I think some people go there to behave in ways that would have legal ramifications in civilization. I'm not going back. Lots of good spots nearer by without similar concerns.

We stayed at Shannon Creek campground, one of a few managed under contract and within the Mt Baker/ Snoqualmie National Park boundary. It had everything I love- small grounds, privacy, clean, quiet at night; but had none of the things pseudo campers like (showers, paved trails, pull through sites, electricity). In other words, bring your own water, your hiking boots, be ready to rough it. Also, get trail maps ahead of time if you're hiking, none to be found out there, although there are several great trails.The area has the feel of a true reserve, very little logging, plenty of wild life, great views of Mt Baker and Mt Shuksan. We met frogs, mice, chipmunks, and even saw snow and bear scat on our day hike. Lake was a bit chilly for swimming, but highly recommend the swim area at Swift Creek Campground for those brave enough to freeze their naughty bits.

Worth the drive if you are in the Cascade National area. Great year round activities from swimming in summer to skiing in winter. Keep in mind that Washington is often rainy and dress for the weather.

Fishing at times can be good but is best if you have a boat. You have to travel a long way through some pretty country, but once you get there it's just a lake...

No trip to the North Cascades would be complete without a visit to Baker Lake.Baker Lake is created by Upper Baker Dam that is run by Puget Sound Energy. The 319' dam creates the 9 mile long by .5 mile wide lake. Located mostly on Forest Service land several improved campgrounds are available on the good road that runs up the west side of the lake. Located close to the dam is a public boat launch and there are more as you proceed up the lake. Fishing is great since it is enhanced by PSE and motorized boating is allowed. Best part of the whole visit is the beautiful views of Mt. Baker, Mt. Shuksan, and the general area you can see as you drive there and along the lake.Take the Baker Lake Rd. near Birdsview north for an easy 10 mile drive to the dam via lake Tyee. From the dam just follow Forest Service road NF#11 up the west side.Or one can take a slightly different route from Concrete up Burpee Hill Rd. to Lake Tyee and then onto Baker Lake Rd. Although a bit more scenic, I wouldn't recommend this route for RVs though.