Ptarmigan Ridge Trail

Hard · Out-and-back · 8.2 mi round trip · 1,248 ft gain · 3 h–4 h 15 min

Parking: not reported today

A full day with sustained climbing; bring plenty of water. No bikes.

4.1 mi one way · high point 6,129 ft · time at a steady pace without breaks

Elevation from USGS; 5,017–6,129 ft. Open the map.

No hiker reports in the last 3 days. Be the first to report here

What you need

No bikes Fee or pass required Toilets (vault) Trash cans dogs, accessibility: not recorded yet

In Mount Baker Ranger District (Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest). Entrance fee Northwest Forest Pass, $5 per day or $30 per year or an America the Beautiful pass. Day hikes need no permit; overnight stays need a wilderness permit. Rules, passes and closures change. Check the official Forest Service site before you go. Official: conditions · roads · fees.

Getting there

Starts at Artist Point Trailhead · Mount Baker · 6 other trails start here. Also reachable from Fire & Ice Trailhead, Lake Ann Trailhead

⚠ Road closed: SR 542 is closed to all traffic between Silver Fir Campground (MP 48) and Picture Lake (MP 54), 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, on Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 5 and Oct 6, 2026 for winter preparation. To reach Heather Meadows, Artist Point, Picture Lake, Lake Ann, Chain Lakes or Ptarmigan Ridge on those days, be past Silver Fir before 7:30 am and expect to wait until 4 pm to drive back out. official status (checked 2026-10-05)

Navigate to the trailhead: Google Maps · Apple Maps · coordinates 48.84745, -121.69251

Right now

Open in the app to report

Weather and road conditions

Tonight: Partly Cloudy, 44°F, 1% precip, wind 6 mph
Monday: Partly Sunny, 55°F, 1% precip, wind 3 to 7 mph
Monday Night: Partly Cloudy, 42°F, wind 2 to 6 mph

Full forecast (NWS)

Daylight: Sunset 6:38 pm · 3 h 32 min of daylight left

Air: Moderate (AQI 53, PM2.5 10.3 µg/m³) at the Chilliwack monitor, 39 km away AirNow

Wildfire: Electric fire, 29 km away, 495 acres, 90% contained InciWeb

Snow: 0″ snow at Wells Creek (4,040 ft, 7.4 km away) station
Typical year: normally snow-free now · usually melted out by about Jun 10 · typical peak Apr 12

No reports in the last 3 days.

All conditions and reports at Artist Point Trailhead

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