The easiest hike in the Baker Lake area is the half-mile, wheelchair-accessible Shadow of the Sentinels Trail that winds through an old-growth Douglas fir stand. It begins a mile beyond the Koma Kulshan guard station.

An excellent, gentle rainforest hike is up the Baker River. To reach the trailhead for this six-mile round-trip hike, drive north on Baker Lake-Grandy Lake Road for 14 miles to the Komo Kulshan Guard Station. Follow the Forest Service road for 11.5 miles, then left a mile, then right on the first side road for half a mile to the start of Trail 606. This level, low-elevation trail affords views of glaciers and beaver ponds on the way to Sulphur Creek, the turnaround point. Because of its low elevation, the trail is snow-free from early spring to late fall.

Another Baker Lake hike takes you to Park Butte, a 5,450-foot summit with incredible views of Mt. Baker glaciers. This summer-only trek is seven miles round-trip, but with an elevation gain of over 2,200 feet it’ll take a good part of the day to complete. Go north for 12.5 miles on Baker Lake-Grandy Lake Road, then turn left on Loomis-Nooksack Road 12 for 3.5 miles, then turn right onto Road 13 for five miles to the road’s end. The trail is west of the road, crossing Sulphur Creek before the switchbacks begin.