Washington · Trail 669

Artist Ridge

Artist Ridge Trail is a 0.8-mile trail in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington. The Forest Service rates it trail class 4 to 5, highly developed to fully developed. It is open to hiking. It enters Mount Baker Wilderness.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end48.8462° N, 121.6932° W · Directions ↗
Other end48.8433° N, 121.6868° W · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 2 segments.

The trail

Length0.8 miles, of which 0.2 miles evaluated accessible
Trail class4, highly developed; 5, fully developed
Typeland trail
Surfaceasphalt, native material
Typical grade12-20 percent, 0-5 percent
Typical tread width36-48 inches, 60-96 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityAt least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers669
ForestMt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (unit 0605)
StatesWashington
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Artist Ridge Trail30°40°50°60°70°January: 15.31 inches of precipitation, 13.1 inches of snowFebruary: 8.80 inches of precipitation, 10.6 inches of snowMarch: 10.42 inches of precipitation, 3.4 inches of snowApril: 6.70 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowMay: 4.52 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 3.32 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 1.78 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.92 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 4.83 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 10.52 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 15.97 inches of precipitation, 2.2 inches of snowDecember: 14.15 inches of precipitation, 12.9 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 33.4°F averageFebruary: 35.8°F averageMarch: 39.9°F averageApril: 45.8°F averageMay: 52.8°F averageJune: 57.2°F averageJuly: 62.6°F averageAugust: 63.3°F averageSeptember: 57.9°F averageOctober: 48.2°F averageNovember: 39.0°F averageDecember: 33.6°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Upper Baker Dam, 13 miles from the trail midpoint at 690 feet, station USC00458715 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 98 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 42 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 4,400 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Wilderness

Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.

Trailheads

Artist Point Trailhead
No season published · listed closed
Wilderness regulations apply within Mt. Baker Wilderness. Camping is prohibited at Artist Point from May 15-November 15. This includes tents, RVs, vans, and sleeping in cars
under 0.1 mi

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Explore

Guidebooks for Washington

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Backpacking Washington
    Douglas Lorain, 2020
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon and Washington
    Andy Selters, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Waterfalls in Washington
    Sawyer Scheer, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Washington's Fire Lookouts
    Amber Casali, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hikes in the Washington Region Part C
    Larry Broadwell and William Needham, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Artist Ridge Trail?

The Forest Service records 0.8 miles under this name in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, the sum of 2 segments. The Forest Service evaluates 0.2 miles of that as accessible.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Artist Ridge Trail?

Hiking is allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Artist Ridge Trail start?

The line begins at 48.8462° N, 121.6932° W and ends at 48.8433° N, 121.6868° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Artist Point Trailhead, under 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Artist Ridge Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Mount Baker Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Mount Baker Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Artist Ridge Trail?

Silver Fir Campground (4 mi) is within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists it with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Artist Ridge Trail?

Trail class 4 to 5, which the Forest Service describes as highly developed to fully developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Artist Ridge Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent on most segments and 0-5 percent on others. The typical tread is 36-48 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Artist Ridge Trail accessible?

The Forest Service has evaluated 0.2 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is asphalt and native material.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Artist Ridge Trail?

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Forest Service unit 0605. The trail is in Washington.

Source: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest official page

Source

This page is built from 2 segments named Artist Ridge in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0605. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.