Upper Lodge to Artist Point Trail

Great snowshoe! Lots of snow still, snowed a couple times last week when we were there. Moderate hike, some of the best mountain views so easily accessible!

Artist Point on a sunny day is always a five star snow shoe! No two return trips are the same as there is always a new direction to go or a trail to follow. This snow shoe has a few short steep spots but is able to be done by even a beginner if patient. Given the right weather your efforts will be rewarded. If its not clear or there is limited blue sky you my as well not bother. Once you seen what this hike has to offer on a perfect day its hard to go back when its overcast.

I had to return to do this one on a sunny day and it was magnificent! Nearly 360 views from Artist Point. Many trails were created to get to the top so choose your own adventure from the upper parking lot. We hugged the groomed trail, keeping it to our left before the terrain flattens out and naturally provides a wide trail that meanders left before switching back right.

More beauty than my brain could handle! Seriously. Great workout, trails in good condition. Mind blown during sunrise snowshoe hike this morning. Hardly needed gloves or a hat. For my first time up there, this was a grand introduction!!! WOW!!!!

Great weather. Fluffy snow.

This snowshoe trip was awesome. Made the trip in a nice pair of MSR Snowshoes and enjoyed a clear blue sky. Kulshan and Shuksan were in full view and the trail up to the point was nice and packet down. Best snowshoe of the winter!

Great snowshoe spot. A wonderful way to kick off the new year. It is a very easy hike, only one point with a steep grade. The views were great throughout the entire hike, but the top is fantastic. A great place to catch a sunset.

Fantastic as per usual, though a little low on fresh snow. Sun was shining though! Explored more then in the past which was totally worth it. The main trail saw quite a few other snowshoers, but going off the beaten path was quieter. One of my favourite places to go. Nov 28, 2015

This was my first time snowshoeing around Mt. Baker on Artist Point trail The day i went there were too many clouds to see the big boy mountains but it was still a decent trip. I’ll have to go back on a clearer day. The road up to ski lodge was in great shape shut a little snowy slush near the top. The trail is easy to follow right now lots of tracks to follow, I will note that some of the steeper terrain does look a little iffy avalanche wise. Overall though this is a super easy hike you’re in eye sight of the ski resort the whole time so it doesn’t feel so scary if you’re new to snowshoeing. Literally all you have to do is park in the Mt Baker Ski area parking lot and start heading south. Also when it’s clear out you get very good views for not a whole lot of work. I would definitely recommend this trail.

Fantastic weather and enough snow! I tried going in February and we had to turn around due to a white out about 30 minutes in, but this time we had sunshine and only a few clouds that hid the peak of Mt Baker from us. Great conditions on April 4th, however I would have enjoyed more snow. Snowshoes were definitely still a good idea. About 45 minutes to an hour up? Enjoyed the glorious view and enough sun to give some colour before heading back down, exploring as we went. Lots of back country skiers and snow boarders out there, even a big group camping overnight.

good snowshoe up from carpark, very busy trail even midweek although not surprising given perfect weather. Snow conditions soft with a crusty frozen surface which made harder going off the packed trail

Wednesday 5-14-2014: My wife and I snowshoed from Mt Baker Ski Resort parking lot to Artist Point. The large parking lot was virtually empty with only a few people there to ski. It was only 1.6 miles one way with 850 ft elevation gain to Artist Point. It took us 1.5 hours going up, 1 hour coming down. The weather was warm and sunny. That made snow soft. There was nobody else at Artist Point. Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan was gorgeous. We had a great fun. We learned that a Seattle skier was killed in an avalanche on Mount Shuksan that morning. It was a sad reminder that when the weather is warm you need to stay away from avalanche chutes and cornices.
http://alltrails.com/tracks/artist-point-snowshoe-5-14-2014/edit

I just snowshoed up Artist Point this past Monday, March 9, 2014. It was incredible! Gorgeous views the whole way up and once you're at the top it's breathtaking! The drive from Abbotsford was gorgeous! Once you arrived at Mount Baker there's no point going into the lodge to ask for advice, no one will be helpful and at the very least they will highly discourage you to go forward. They don't want to be held legally responsible. **Check out Avalanche reviews yourself and be prepared!!! We went on a gorgeous sunny day and saw probably 10 others out on the hike as well. Everyone was very friendly and helpful, who couldn't be with such a gorgeous view! So drive to the end of the road till you hit a dead-end there's a parking lot and will likely be a few other cars there as well, start hiking up! It'll seem like you're going uphill where others are skiing down at first… You are. You'll reach a point where there's a warning of avalanches and that you're going out of boundaries to your right, that's where you're heading. Continue on; if others are ahead of you it's easy to follow their trail if not make your own! about 45 minutes in you will get to a 'ridge' that continues on to the left , instead you want to go right and zigzag up the steeper incline. Up ahead will be artist point in all it's glory! Relax and enjoy the view; we hung out up there for an hour, enjoying Gods creation, the sun was so brilliantly shining we came down with sunburn. Took us an hour up at a very steady pace and probably 40 minutes down taking our time. Can wait to go back again!

I have been to Artist Point during all 4 seasons. Spectacular views of Baker and Shuksan any time of the year. One of my favorite snowshoe destinations and also offers some great hiking trails in the summer/fall. For much of the year you will need to park at the ski lodge and trek a few miles along the west side side of the ski trails to reach Artist Point. In mid to late summer you can drive all the way to the top. Several trail options to explore from there.

Artist point is gorgeous, of course. Super easy trails to roam around. Very light snow. We ended up seeing a family of 5 or so mountain goats. It helps to bring binoculars for a good look!