Nooksack Cirque Trail #750

Mt. Baker – Snoqualmie National Fores

Home Definitions How Much Sites Nooksack Cirque	The 4.5 mile long Nooksack Cirque trail is a primitive (mainly unimproved) trail to the headwaters of the North Fork of the Nooksack River in a cirque at the base of Mt. Shuksan. If your like me and don’t know what a cirque is, Webster defines it as, 3. A steep-walled amphitheatric recess in a mountain. This is a difficult trail to hike, definitely not for children, and it is not because of the increase in altitude because it is only 600 feet in its 4.5 mile length. Rather, it is because it is unimproved and the fording of Ruth Creek near the trailhead will attest if the water is medium or high. Keep in mind that the water rises fast in the creek during a warm day as it is glacier fed. In early summer it may be impassable. If you get across the creek, follow the old roadbed for 2.0 miles. You will meander through second growth forest for about a mile and then enter the Mt. Baker Wilderness area. From here you will wind through old growth forest for about a mile until you com out on the bank of the North Fork of the Nooksack River. The North Cascades National Park boundary is about a mile away but this is the end of the well defined road and from here you must make your own way through brush and other vegetation along the river bank or on the river bars during low water. After you enter the National Park it is tough going to the Cirque and many don’t feel fighting the dense brush is worth the trip. Best time for this hike is fall when water levels are low. No dogs or pets in the National Park and backcountry permits are required for an overnight stay. The permits are available at the Glacier Public Service Center. The Nooksack Cirque Trail enters the Mt. Baker Wilderness, limiting party size to 12. A Northwest Forest Pass is required for each vehicle parked at the trailhead.
	Mt. Baker – Snoqualmie National Forest Horseshoe Bend Trail #687 http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/recreation/activities/trails/mbrd/mbrd_0687.htm
	Directions: from Glacier, travel east on Mt. Baker Highway 542 for 12.5 miles. Turn left on Forest Service Road #32 (Hannegan Pass Road), just before the Nooksack River Bridge. Follow Road #32 for a little more than a mile to F.S. Road #34. Turn right on Road #34. In 1.0 mile the road meets Ruth Creek, where there is no longer a bridge. This is as far as it is possible to travel by car. Recreationists are reminded that a Northwest Forest Pass is required at trailheads in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Hikers can buy a $30 annual pass or a $5 day pass at Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Ranger Stations. Passes are also available at local vendors or can be ordered by calling (toll free) 1-800-270-7504 or ordered on-line through Nature of the Northwest.

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