Artist Point opens for summer fun

The Road to Artist Point, Whatcom County’s most scenic parking lot – and road to get there – was officially opened for the summer on June 27 after Washington State Department of Transportation crews finished removing snow from the alpine road.

The final 2.7 miles of State Route 542 opened just in time for the Fourth of July weekend, along with the U.S. Forest Service’s Heather Meadows Visitor Center, a popular destination for recreationists. The visitor center will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

WSDOT crews removed up to 20 feet of snow covering the highway and parking lot at Artist Point, and warned that while vault toilets and garbage cans are up and running, snow is still covering much in the area.

“All trails accessed from Artist Point remain under deep snow, and most signs with directional maps are still unavailable,” a June 25 statement from WSDOT said. “Recreationalists should plan ahead for limited cell service, pack water, sunglasses and sunscreen, and remember the area is remote and emergency response times can be long.”

According to data from WSDOT, 650 vehicles travel the narrow, winding road to Artist Point, with roughly 40,000 annual visitors to the Glacier Public Service Center just a few miles up the road.

This year’s opening date was slightly later than previous years, with the Road to Artist Point opening June 21, 2024, and closing on October 16.

For real-time updates on road conditions for Artist Point, visit WSDOT’s Mt. Baker Highway Mountain Pass page at bit.ly/4lrS0oz.