- Trail: Ridley Creek, Bell Pass, and Elbow Lake Trails
- Length: 20.5 miles
- Elevation Gain: 3,870 ft
- Why hike it now: Ditch the leaf-peeping crowds to see what else fall has to offer on this deserted loop in the shadow of Mt. Baker.
Washington State hikers have made headlines this month for clogging up highways, parking areas, and trails in pursuit of Larch Madness—the fleeting time of year when deciduous conifers bedeck the alpine with their brilliant aureate needles. The fall colors are indeed stunning, but if you prefer not to hike nose-to-tail with hundreds of others, there are plenty of solitudinous trails worth visiting in October. Last weekend, I experienced the best of autumn in the PNW on this seldom-visited overnight route in the Mt. Baker Wilderness. The trail was alive with mushrooms, moss, and clear skies to backdrop glacier views from a subalpine camp—and my hiking partner and I had it all to ourselves.
A washout on the dirt forest service road to the Elbow Lake and Ridley Creek trailheads means you’ll have to work a little harder to reach the trails, but it’s worth it for the solitude. A gently climbing 4-mile bike ride or walk on the dirt road from the closure to the trailhead follows leaf-lined gravel alongside the Middle Fork Nooksack River, making for as pleasant a roadwalk as you could ask for. The loop itself wends through a forest that’s exploding with fall activity: Moss lining the forest floor and dripping from the trees is turning a deep emerald with the beginning of the wet season. Massive fungi of all shapes and pigments are reaching their peak: chanterelle, bear’s head tooth, violet webcap, rusulla, king boletes, and more paint the forest with fall colors of their own, from deep violet and rust red to sunshine yellow and snowy white. The loop’s highpoint is Mazama Camp, which offers wide-open mountain views. The Park Butte fire lookout perches on the prominence above; we heard laughter from the lookout as we cooked dinner, but never saw another camper (Park Butte is a popular destination for dayhikers and campers, but most hikers reach it from the Park Butte trailhead on the other side of the ridge.) We watched the Easton and Squak glaciers on Mt. Baker’s looming slopes turn blush pink at sunset. To the west, the apricot-colored dunite crags of the Twin Sisters lent their own unique hues to the landscape. On the hike out, we craned our necks to take in enormous Alaska yellow cedar and western hemlock, then stopped for lunch on the peaceful and sun-drenched shores of Elbow Lake.
The Hike
Park at a pullout beside the road closure at milepost 7 on Middle Fork Nooksack Rd (FSR 38)—a Discover Pass is required for parking here. Bike or walk 3.7 miles up the dirt road to the Elbow Lake trailhead. Here, stash your bikes in the woods and continue walking the last 1.4-mile stretch up the road to the Ridley Creek trailhead. From the rocky shore of the Middle Fork Nocksack River, look for a newly-installed log crossing with a rope handrail, which offers solid footing. [Note: Two sturdy log crossings exist as of October 2026, but these tend to wash out seasonally.] Across the river, climb a series of steep switchbacks through mature forest. Once you’ve worked up a pleasant burn in your calves, bust out of the trees into subalpine meadows where water sources are abundant in fall. After just 3 miles of hiking from the trailhead (about 8 from your car), set up for the night at Mazama Camp, where you can choose between a log shelter or one of a few scenic tent sites. Optionally, take a 3-mile roundtrip, 950-foot detour up to the Park Butte lookout for views over Mt. Baker, the Twin Sisters, and into the North Cascades. Spend the night at Mazama Camp, then the next day complete the loop by following the Bell Pass Trail for 4.4 miles until it dumps into the Elbow Lake trail. At mile 13.5, enjoy a break on the slice of land between Elbow Lake and Lake Doreen (there are also campsites in the area) before busting out the final 3 miles to the Elbow Lake trailhead. Just before reconnecting with the road, look for another log crossing over the Middle Fork Nooksack: This one also features a handline, but the log hasn’t been leveled on top like the other—step carefully, especially in wet conditions. After crossing, rejoin the forest road and ride or walk back to the car.
It’s clear this loop gets less traffic than others in the area; the path is overgrown in spots, and several blowdowns cross the upper section of the Elbow Lake Trail, but the way is mostly clear thanks to hard work by local crews and volunteers. The rugged nature of the trail makes it feel all the more remote and special.
The post Hike of the Week: Colorful Mushrooms, Not Leaves, Are the Main Attraction on This Fall Overnight appeared first on Backpacker.