First Fire Lookout in Washington
I’ll never forget my first fire lookout hike. For that reason, Park Butte will hold a special place in my heart. It was the tail-end of wildfire season and I was meeting one of my Instagrams for the first time. But in the end it was two of the most memorable days in the mountains I’ve ever had. The views were out of this world, and the company turned out to be even better!
Park Butte is a fire lookout high above the Nooksack River Valley, on the ridgeline between Washington Pass and Mt. Baker. The trailhead can be found at the end of Forest Service Road 13, staying left most of the way from State Route 20.
On our first day, we hiked up through the fall colours in the valley and up the side of the mountain. We hiked from 12:00pm - 2:30pm. The hike was about 5.7km long with an elevation gain of 616 meters. While it wasn’t too strenuous, it was definitely challenging as we were carrying heavy packs containing water and food as well as tents, sleeping bags and other necessary camping gear. After reaching the summit at 1625 meters above sea level, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset while cooking dinner in the lookout.
The next morning, we woke up at sunrise to take some photos. I also made a cup of coffee using my Aeropress. We then began our descent after eating breakfast. We managed to make it down the mountain without too many slips or falls. The hike back was much easier than the ascent had been because our bodies remembered how to move through the forest.
The hike itself is great. The trail is well-marked and easy to follow, so there's no risk of getting lost. The views from the top were amazing, especially when the sun set and turned everything into shades of orange and purple.
When we arrived back at our car just after 12pm (having started out around 10:30am), we were both feeling tired but happy from such an awesome adventure together!
To get to the trailhead, you'll have to drive about three hours from Vancouver. Make sure you fill up your gas tank beforehand because there's no gas station in the area. You'll also want to pack some food along with water and snacks for the hike.
The first part of this hike is very steep and will be difficult for anyone who has difficulty climbing stairs or walking on uneven terrain—but once we reached our destination at around 2:30pm, we had plenty of time to relax before sunset. When you get there, don't forget that smoking isn't allowed within 25 feet of any lookout tower--so please don't smoke while visiting these structures!
I'm looking forward to planning more fire lookout trips in the future and meeting new people along the way. If you have any questions or comments about this article, please feel free to reach out!
Please remember to leave no trace!
Gallery
