From Seattle - Enchanting Mt Baker and Cascades Tour in SUV

Mount Baker Scenic Byway

Embark from Seattle to a scenic drive towards Mt Baker on I 5. Mount Baker Highway (SR 542), connects Bellingham to snow-capped Mt. Baker. The highway was built gradually in the late 1800s as an access road for the lucrative logging industry and its rich history is well documented. At Glacier, the road passes into the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and is a designated National Forest Scenic Byway. Towering evergreens and leaf maples line the route, with skirts of the Nooksack River peeking out at several points. In the summer months, the highway ends at milepost 58 in a parking lot, which gives visitors access to Artist Point and its spectacular views of Mt. Baker’s 10,781-foot peak. The area is a great jumping-off-point for Mt. Baker hiking. In the winter months, the road ends at milepost 55, which is the Mount Baker Ski Area – holder of the world record for snowfall in a single season and is the birthplace of snowboarding.

Fragrance Lake sits up in the cradle of the Chuckanut Mountains in Larrabee State Park, just south of Bellingham. This hike is a popular spot for geologists like Dave Tucker to hang out, because of the diverse types of geology you pass through. “The trail to Fragrance Lake in Larabee State Park is one of the most popular [hiking trails] in the Bellingham area,” Tucker said in his Fragrance Lake Geology Guide.

Fairhaven Historic District

If you love great food, boutique shopping, an amazing art scene and getting outside in a small town, you will love Bellingham’s Fairhaven Village. One of my favorite things about the Village is that everything is local and can only be found here in Whatcom County, making it the perfect day trip from Seattle. No visit to Bellingham is complete without crossing off at least a few items on this list.