Ptarmigan Ridge
6 days ago
Wild blueberries are sweet and ample now
21 this month · 107 reports
Baker Hot Springs
North Cascades
updated 4 months ago
The access road to Baker Hot Springs is notoriously rough with extreme potholes, making a high-clearance vehicle highly recommended, as noted on September 19, 2025. Reports vary on the gate status; it was locked on September 19, 2025, requiring an additional three miles of hiking, but was open on November 15, 2025 and May 2, 2026. The trail itself is a short, easy hike, about 0.3 miles, with some muddy spots and puddles, manageable in sandals according to a report from May 2, 2026. The hot springs themselves are a low-tech dam with room for a couple dozen people, offering great water temperatures as of November 15, 2025 and May 2, 2026. Parking is limited, with space for around 8-10 cars at the trailhead as of May 2, 2026.
Generated from 9 trip reports. Trails change faster than reports do, so check anything you’d turn around for.
What hikers ask about Baker Hot Springs
Generated from the most recent trip reports, newest 4 months ago. Check anything you’d turn around for.
No trip reports on this trail in 4 months, so everything below is at least that old.
The access road is described as having extreme potholes, making a high-clearance vehicle highly recommended as of September 19, 2025. A report from May 2, 2026 also detailed it as an "absolute festival of potholes".
There are conflicting reports on the gate status. It was found locked on September 19, 2025, necessitating a longer hike, but was open on November 15, 2025 and May 2, 2026.
The trail is generally described as short and easy, about 0.3 miles. It can be muddy with puddles and small streams to step over, especially after rain, as noted on November 15, 2025 and May 2, 2026.
Crowd levels can vary significantly. On April 5, 2025, the parking lot was packed with a "full-blown collage hippy party." However, on May 2, 2026, one visitor was all alone, with a new crew arriving as they left.
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Trail notes generated from recent reports. Conditions change fast.
Sources
Older4 months ago
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
Don't be an idiot like me! When I arrived at the trailhead there were a few cars, and they were blocking the trail to the hot springs. However, there's another nice trail there with a sign that says...
Older10 months ago
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
Trail was easy, a little muddy, puddles and small streams to step over.The access forest service road was rumored to be locked. this was not true at 8pm on a Saturday night, and again at 9:30pm when l...
Older12 months ago
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
I had heard a rumor that the road was better but it was somehow worse than before. High clearance vehicle necessary. Extreme potholes that added an extra hour to the trip. When we finally made it to t...
Older17 months ago
North Cascades
What a TRIP!! EPIC!! I was searching for a low elevation snow free trip with some miles on it to kick off to Spring Break. Circumnavigating Baker Lake sounded like fun as I'd never done it before! ...
Older19 months ago
North Cascades
Gorgeous winter day up at the springs. Temp was in the high 30s, which made for a relaxing lounge in the warm water! Beware of falling snow as it melts off tree branches. Springs were a bit sulfury as...
Older20 months ago
North Cascades
What a great morning at the Baker Hot Spring with zero others for hours! The temp outside was 27 degrees as the spring was more than bathtub temp. Finding the spring was easy by using Gaia app. The pa...
Older24 months ago
North Cascades
Figuring out how to get to the trailhead for this hot spring is challenging. When you put the spring into apple maps, it takes you to a trailhead that is over 10 miles from the hot spring. It is best ...
Older24 months ago
North Cascades
No signs to this hot spring. When you get to the parking area, the trail is on the right. Do not go down the Swift Creek Trail. The hike is a short 0.5 mile. The road to the parking area is full of po...
Older25 months ago
North Cascades
The road up is very rough. I have about 10" of ground clearance and scraped once on the way out, so if you don't have high clearance you need to be pretty careful.The springs were pretty busy. We got ...