Hiking to the Summit of Goat Mt, near Bellingham WA is a fanstatic adventure, and offers tremendous views of the surrounding mountains including Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan.
This page outlines our trip up Goat Mt, a jagged peak in the Mt. Baker National Forest. Goat Mt. is not a huge mountain, but the views are spectacular (see panoramic image above), the climb is pretty steep, and the experience is awesome. In short you get a whole bunch of mountain bang for your adventure dollar.
Directions to Goat Mt. Trail up Goat Mt. Video from the Top of Goat Mt.
Take I-5 to Exit 255 (Just about Bellingham WA)
Head east on the the Mount Baker Highway (542) - Head about 30 miles, near the end of your trek you will come to a small town called "Concrete". Not a bad spot to stop for a beer on the way home.
Turn left on the Hannegan Pass Road (#32) just before the 4th and final crossing of the Nooksack River. Make sure you count the crossings, as it does get confusing.
Follow the road 2.5 miles to the Goat Mountain Trail head. There is a parking area on the left just before the trail and one on the right just after. Look for the wodden Trail Head sign and start up.
Goat Mt is roughly 10 miles round trip with an elevation gain about 4,200 ft, so it is plenty steep. The trail goes like this; you start in the world's darkest forest and handle switchbacks for about two hours. You go through tall grass, like this:
Can you see the trail? You can't while on it either.
After you break out of the trees, you enter into a sprawling open meadow with fantastic views of both Mt. Shuksan and Mt. Baker. Before you start to think I went soft and hum the score from the Sound of Music, this is the steepest meadow... EVER. Observe.
Just you try and walk straight up that buster. The official trail ends in the meadow, but I couldn't tell where as there was an obvious path to the summit, another 1,000 ft up or so.
The meadow gives way to a jagged and rather cranky ridge line, with incredible views.
The back side of Goat Mt, pictured here from the ridge line is a stark contrast to the front side. One side is an ocean of white
caps and torrent peaks; the other is a desert of brown and inhospitable landscape. Such is life. How deep.
We made the summit at about 11, after leaving just after 7. Had lunch and started back down. The views from the summit are not to be missed.
it was a rare clear day in NW summer, and we could see all the way to the mountains blocking our view of everything else.
We made it back to the car just after 3. A solid 8 hours of hiking, 4,200 ft gained and lost 10 miles later, we were ok to be done.
If you ever get the chance to Hike Goat Mt. take it. The path isn't impossible, the route is clear and experience, that was a revolution.
Watch the video, look at the pictures and I will see you all next time.
-Kirk