BestScenicRoutes.com

Skagit and Whatcom counties border Canada to the north, North Cascade Mountains to the east, and Puget Sound with the San Juan Islands— viewable from coastal roads — to the west. This makes the area particularly scenic.

The corners are inviting on Mosquito Lake Road. This corner had a sharp decreasing radius with and "S" hidden behind the trees.

There are several roads that every motorcyclist and sports car driver know about in the region. Some of the roads are nationally renowned. The North Cascades Highway crosses the “American Alps” with fantastic views of peaks and glacial-fed lakes (some natural others created by dams). Chuckanut Drive (State Route 11) connects Skagit and Whatcom counties along a very scenic coastal drive that further established the city of Bellingham as a supply point for Canada’s Fraser River Valley. State Highway 9 also passes through both counties and is well known to area motorcycle and car enthusiasts.  Highway 9 is great for those seeking an escape along the rural beauty of the area with curves that reach into your soul like a good blues guitar, evoking exhilaration when well-executed and disappointment when perfection is not attained.

There are many other fantastic routes in the Northern Puget Sound region. To find them, you need to talk with locals. As a local, I’ll share one of the many hidden gems.

A simple corner on Mosquito Lake Road

Mosquito Lake Road is a short off-shoot of Washington State Highway 9. Mosquito Lake Road is on the north side of the town of Acme. It connects with Highway 9 on the north side of the bridge that crosses the South Fork of the Nooksack River. This is a popular swimming and fishing area. The crisp water slices a shallow swath making it a refreshing place to take a dip on hot summer days.

Mosquito Lake  Road is 15 miles of bliss along the middle fork of the Nooksack River from Acme to Welcome. The Road has numerous technical corners that will send you wide if you’re not careful. It is the technical nature and dips in the pavement along some of these corners that makes the route so enjoyable. At least for motorcyclists who seek opportunities to test their cornering finesse. After caressing the shores of Josephine Lake and Mosquito Lake the road crosses the middle fork of the Nooksack River.

The recently refurbished Nooksack River bridge.

The recently rehabilitated bridge is listed on the National Register of Historical Places as the longest pin-connected highway bridge in the state (according to Jared Paben in the Bellingham Herald’s April 20, 2011 article “Whatcom County receives national award for Mosquito Lake Road bridge project). The bridge was built in 1915 and in 1951 it was disassembled and moved 30 miles to its current location. It is a beautiful bridge expanse that will evoke your inner photographer. A river access point under the bridge provides a good viewing point away from traffic.

Beyond the bridge the corners widen as they meander through the mountain valley. The bucolic views of mountains and small pastures continue six miles until Mosquito Lake Road terminates at the Mt Baker Highway (State Highway 542) at the foot of Sumas Mountain. The road makes a rather abrupt turn as it approaches the railroad tracks near Hwy 542. Don’t let the views pull your attention from the road in this area.

Mosquito Lake Road is a particularly exhilarating stretch a pavement that avoids one of the boring straight stretches of State Highway 9. It is a good alternative to the larger road with less traffic. Since Mosquito Lake Road connects Highway 9 with The Mt Baker Highway (State Highway 542) it is also a fantastic route to such places as Artist Point to enjoy the incredible scenery of Mt Baker and the North Cascades Mountain Range.

Trees line FS38 creating a tunnel. One of the changing environments on the road that causes one to slow down to enjoy the sights.

If you are particularly adventurous, a jaunt down Forest Service Road (FR) 38 will satiate the dirt explorer in you. The forest service road is not marked particularly well from Mosquito Lake Road. It is the road that juts out sharply from the the main road near the gravel pit. FS38 quickly passes the rather unseemly gravel pit and rises up the canyon above the middle fork of the Nooksack River. The road travels approximately 10 miles into the Mt Baker Wilderness.

Trees line the road and sometimes even cover it as if creating a tunnel through the forest. The tall trees don’t allow much plant growth on the forest floor. This provides a fairly deep view into the surrounding woods from the road as you ride. Slowing down may allow you the opportunity to catch a glimpse of wildlife. Slowing will also allow you to catch the wheels devouring pot holes that are found throughout the length of the road. After the tunnel of trees, the road comes to a “Y” intersection. Take the high road to remain on FS38.

At times the road meets with the steep drop offs and the trees fade away to allow decent views of the river valley. To the southwest both the North Twin and South Twin of Sisters Mountain can be seen.

There are many camping spots to be found along FS38. Many are single spots that require a tight turn around down a trail if they’re already occupied. This is a good location for motorcycle camping. Fishing in the numerous creeks and Nooksack River could even provide the evenings meal.

A logging road trail for the FS38 side route. This trail connects with FS38 near the Ridley Creek trailhead. High clearance needed.

The road passes a few trickling falls. Wallace Creek provides a particularly pretty falls under a bridge. There is a good spot to pull over past the bridge. The bridge is on a “S” section of the road. Be ready for 4×4 traffic to buzz by. It is a fairly remote area, but moderately popular with outdoor enthusiasts.

The road comes to a dead end at the Ridley Creek trailhead. For riders on dual sport motorcycles, there is a trail near the deadend that shoots up the hill. The trail winds its way near Marmot Ridge. This trail is plenty wide for small 4×4 with short wheelbases and is perfect for dual sport motorcycles. My V-Strom handles the moderate “whoops” with ease. The heavy bike was a bit of a pig to turn around when I came to a couple camping on a corner of the trail figuring no one else would be able to make it up to this point. The ability of single-track vehicles can sometimes astound Jeepers.

At the bottom of each whoop is evidence of water flow. Be aware that in the spring and early summer there is likely a good amount of mud from the snow melt.

Click this map to get full route details. This is a rough guide to the route. Please use a legitimate map to reduce your own personal risk.

Looking northeast from Mount Vernon, Washington you can see the very tip of volcanic Mount baker. From a few spots in this medium-size town on the Skagit River, the foothills give way to a valley that affords a good view of the mountain. For the most part, Lyman Hill and Mt Josephine at 4,257 feet and 3,956 feet, respectively, block the view of beautiful Mt Baker.

Viewpoints of beautiful Mount Baker are worth seeking out.

On a sunny and warm day very late in the season, I set out to find a route that would get me quickly over the foothills for a better view. Francis Road provides a quick escape from town. The road drops down 150 feet to the Skagit River Valley. Farm fields and the smell of freshly bailed hay greet you at the city limits. The Mount Vernon area has many modern conveniences, but also is seconds away from rural relaxation.

Francis Road twists along with the Skagit River to State Highway 9. Just a couple miles more and Hwy 20 takes me east to Hamilton. A right turn (north) onto Hamilton Cemetery Road takes me past homes and makes a 90-degree turn west. Just past this bend is Medford Road. If you cross the bridge over the creek, then you’ve gone past Medford Road.

From here, unnamed logging roads take you up into the hills of Mt. Josephine. The road climbs and the view of the Skagit River Valley opens up.

Unnamed logging road just south of Mt Baker

I tried several offshoots heading north in an attempt to find a good view of Mt Baker. All of them were fun roads to ride with grass down the middle from lack of use. This is just how I like them. They typically dead ended with evidence of leave plenty of trace camping. Makeshift fire pits and beer bottles were framed with shotgun shells strewn in all directions. Some people shoot guns for the noise of it. This seems to be the case in these wooded areas.

My secondary goal of this route was to find dirt roads that skirt the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) and connect with Baker Lake Road. This much was accomplished. The unnamed logging roads eventually spit me out on Baker Lake Road near milepost two, Just southwest of Grandy Lake. With exploring of offshoots the dirt route took approximately 75 minutes. Without exploring, time could be cut by 25 minutes or so.

The nicely paved and frequent curves of Baker Lake Road make it a joy. It is far too easy to outpace the speed limit. Be aware that it is a road designed for 60 mph or faster with frequent 35 mph zones patrolled by many policing agencies.

The bridge over Boulder Creek offers a great place to photograph Mount Baker.

Head northeast on Bake Lake Road until the road curves to the right, passing over Boulder Creek. Mt Baker rises up above the valley making for an incredible photo opportunity. With the camera stowed in my tank bag, I round the corner from this viewpoint and turn onto Fire Service Road (FR) 1130.

FR1130 is a fun dirt road that climbs Boulder Ridge. Keep to the right of the “Y” junction just a mile or so down the road. The left option would take you up FR1131. During early summer, Rainbow Falls crashes down near the road causing a refreshing spray. The light deflects off this spray, spreading the spectrum and giving the falls a just name. This being September, the reduced volume of water clings tightly to the rocks. Still a pretty falls, it just lacks the refreshing qualities of the early summer rush.

The climb from 2,000 feet offer many views of Baker Lake and Mt Shuksan. Finally, near 3,500 feet the road looks like it will run smack into Mt Baker. The mountain fills the area cut through the trees for the narrow road. About a mile further and the road ends. Mt Baker, aka Kulshan, at 10,781 feet is in full glory at this point. The view is truly worth the trip up here.

According to Wikipedia, Mount Baker is thought to be the youngest volcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It is the third-highest mountain in Washington State and is only topped by Mount Saint Helens for volcanic activity in the Cascade Range. It is also one of the snowiest places in the world. The Mt Baker Ski Area recorded 95 feet of snowfall in a single season in 1999, a world record. In short, this is another incredibly beautiful place to have in my backyard. Encrusted below the surface is the true power of Mother Nature that is realized every few millennia, but deems respect for all time.

View of Mt Baker from end of FS 1130

Be cautious on the roads in this area on your motorcycle. They are built from the Andesite rocks from the hills that they cover. These rocks can easily puncture well-worn tires. Rocks cut a triangle-type hole in rubber as pressure is applied. Ask me how I know! Throwing every plug I had at it wouldn’t seal the tire back up. Luckily, the Michelin Anakee 2 tire held up to 60 miles of complete deflation on the road to get me home.

Next time I may try to connect the unnamed logging roads passing back over Lyman Pass for a loop route that should afford good views of Mt. Baker. I only hope that the roads aren’t gated as so many others are in this area.

Ride this route at your own risk. This is a rough guide to the route. Please use a legitimate map to reduce your own personal risk.