Overall Route Rating
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4.86 out of 5 Rider Rating 4.86
9 Reviews

Motorcycle Route Author

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By Guest (0 McR Points) on Feb 29, 2008

Rider Reviews

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glennpayan@gmail.com
164 McR Points
December 14, 2020
A good ride on a nicely paved road. Great views…
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DylanC33
60 McR Points
April 24, 2021
So entertaining that you are at the mountain…
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Written Directions

From Bellingham, WA simply head northeast out of town on WA Route 542 (Mt Baker Road).

Scenery

The scenery from exit 255 is fair while being able to see Mt Baker at different spots along the way. After you get on Hwy 9/542 from Deming the scenery improves, and from Glacier to the base road for Mt Baker it is in a well shaded curvy area for about 15 miles that is most welcome during the summer months, then the climb to Mt Baker is the most scenic and where one will want to stop and take photos all the way up. Then at the top parking lot there is great scenic views of Mt Baker and Mt Shuksan. Geezy Rider near Mt Shuksan (Baker & Shuksan are real close together and both can be seen from the same vantage point)

Drive Enjoyment

The roads are nice and smooth all the way from exit 255 up to the top parking lot at Mt Baker. You'll encounter mild to heavy traffic for about the first five miles then the road opens up till you get to Nooksack, Deming and on to Kendall. There the road turns into long sweeping high speed curves through Maple falls and Glacier for about thirty miles to the base of the Mt Baker climb. This is where the fun starts with about 15 miles of lots of hairpins and great scenery. Once at the top the scenery is awesome and there are many scenic trails to climb.

Photo of the "Geezy Rider" with Mt. Baker in the background

Photo of Tabletop Mountain taken by "Geezy Rider"

Above photo taken in July 08 by "Geezy Rider." Next to the famous "The Three Sisters" motorcycle road in Texas, the Bellingham Mt Baker Road is his all time favorite!

Above photo contributed in Aug 09 by "As Mt. Baker usually does, it lured me up there again for the umpteenth time yesterday. Though the weather Forecast was for the 70's, I dressed warm figuring that I could do some shedding if needed. As it turned out I was glad that I did dress warm because the mountain was shrouded in clouds and quite cold. Mount Baker itself was completely shrouded in clouds and a photo op was not an option. So I took a shot of Tabletop Mountain which as you can see in early August is relatively devoid of snow. It's from a totally different spot so you might want to add it to the posting."

Tourism Opportunities

There are fair/good local restaurant's in Maple Falls and Glacier. With gas at Nooksack, Deming, the "Y' where Hwy 9 splits back off to 542, Maple Falls, and finally Glacier.

Motorcycle Road Additional info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .
 

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Share Your Comments ( 9 )
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OMAR
August 3, 2020
9 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
Great ride. Make sure you do it during the summer (late July) as the last 1.8 miles to Artist Point is closed due to snow until then. The views from AP are breathtaking. Do it on a weekday (less traffic).
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Kevin Allen
September 10, 2020
16 McR Points
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It's completely insane this is ranked #34 in WA, it's better than anything in Colorado (having just moved from CO to WA I can't judge it against other WA roads.. except #5-ranked Chewelah to Usk, which wasn't even really notable imo). Absolutely unbelievable scenery and a fantastic road to drive, with a great mix of esses and hairpins. My #3 ranked road in the USA at the moment behind Hells Canyon and the Tail of the Dragon/Hellbender 28, ahead of the Million Dollar Highway in CO which I drove dozens of time - better scenery, much more fun road
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Kevin Allen
September 10, 2020
16 McR Points
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I can only compare this road to those in Colorado since I just moved to WA but I really don't even think CO has anything close to this. The scenery is absolutely unbelievable, both the dense lush forest down low and the glacier-capped Shuksan & Kulshan above, it makes the Rockies in Colorado look silly. The road itself is fantastically fun to drive, lots of tight essses and a few hairpins. Many many pullouts along the way. I can't believe this is ranked #34 in WA on this site; it's my #3 in the USA behind only Hell's Canyon & the Tail of the Dragon/Hellbender 28. This road is much better than the Million Dollar Highway in CO (which I've driven dozens of times) - better scenery, far better road.
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