Heather Meadows & Bagley Lakes Hike

The Heather Meadows & Bagley Lakes hike at Mt. Baker National Forest near Glacier, Washington is a moderate 1.5-mile loop hike that features stunning alpine, glacier, and lake views from the Mt. Baker Ski Area.

Hiking to Bagley Lakes

This hike begins at the main parking lot for Heather Meadows and first leads uphill toward the visitor center to get a birds-eye view of the lakes below. Depending on what time of year you visit, you may find that the trail is covered in snow, especially in late spring or early summer. We hiked this on the very first day of summer and found that most of the trails were still covered by several feet of snow.

Following this route clockwise, the hike first starts up the trail that leads to the visitor center as it passes through the Heather Meadows. Along the way, you'll find sweeping alpine views of Table Mountain and the Bagley Lakes below. During snowmelt season, you'll also find a massive waterfall that cascades down Mount Herman.

Around mile 0.5, the hike hits the highest point with the Austin Pass Picnic Area located to the south. Here, take the trail as it leads downhill toward the Bagley Lakes. On your way down, you can enjoy the blue water of Bagley Lakes, even if there's some snow covering them as the rock flour from the Table Mountain Glacier fills Bagley Creek with turquoise-tinted waters.

Bagley Lakes - Mile 0.8

After hiking down from the Heather Meadows, the trail will reach the eastern side of Bagley Lake where you'll take a right-hand turn. Following the Bagley Lakes Trail, you'll hike along Bagley Creek as it continues to widen into Lower Bagley Lake. Along the way are nice views of the creek, the lower lake, and the alpine and glaciated slopes of Table Mountain behind you. On the far side of lower Bagley Lake is an outflow dam with a footbridge that spans the top and a small waterfall below. The footbridge is a nice place to enjoy views of the water while listening to the cascade of the small waterfall.

Once you're done exploring Lower Bagley Lake, the hike leads back up to the parking lot, passing neat exposed rock outcroppings of volcanic basalt columns. The hike ends at mile 1.5 at the parking lot.

Parking

Hikers will find a very large parking lot at the coordinates provided, located at the main section for Heather Meadows. The lot is large enough to fit many dozens of vehicles as of June 2025.

Pets

Dogs are allowed only if leashed and must be cleaned up after.

Seasonal Road Closures

The Mt. Baker Highway is subject to seasonal road closures. Before heading out, make sure you check current road statuses which can be found https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/mbs/alerts

Warning

Snowfields: If you hike this trail when the road is open in the late spring, you'll likely find that the terrain is covered in several feet of snowpack. Following this route up into the Heather Meadows on deep snowpack can be challenging if you do not have ice spikes / micro spikes for your feet. Additionally, it's smart to bring a pair of sunglasses as you'll likely get sunblind on the trail even on very-cloudy days, like we did.