| About Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest |
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| Damfino Lakes Trail |
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Elevation Gain:
1,100 Feet
USGS Map:
Bearpaw Mountain.
Usage:
Heavy
Trail Number:
625
Elevation:
4,200 Feet
Difficulty:
More Difficult
Length:
3 Miles
Reservation:
No
Season:
Early Summer - Late Fall
From Glacier, Travel east on Mt. Baker Hwy. 542 for 1.9 miles to Canyon Creek Road #31. Turn left on Road #31 and continue about 15 miles. Stay on the main road. The trailhead and parking are on the right after takes two switchbacks.
Location Information
Damfino Lakes Trail is a strenuous 3 mile hike. The trail starts in an old clearout and then enters a mature forest. In 0.7 miles, a junction is encountered. The left fork is Canyon Ridge Trail #689, which also connects to Boundary Way Trail #688. Take the right fork and reach Damfino Lakes in another 0.1 mile. Tiny Damfino Lakes are skirted by a puncheon bridge walkway. The lakes are surrounded by blueberry bushes which turn a blazing scarlet in autumn. There is one campsite at the lakes, which can be quite buggy in midsummer. The trail continues through forest and then climbs uphill, breaking out of the forest into an expansive meadow about 1.5 miles past Damfino Lakes. Excelsior Pass can be seen 0.5 mile above. Bearpaw Mountain is the prominent peak to the west. Once Excelsior Pass is reached, the white mass of Mt. Baker looms in the hiker's view. Glacier draped Mt. Shuksan and the Canadian Border Peaks are also visible. There are possible campsites below the pass and along Excelsior Ridge, but water is scare once snow fields disappear in late summer. A very popular mid to late summer hike, the Damfino Lakes Trail gains 1100 feet of elevation to reach Excelsior Pass in 3 miles. At Excelsior Pass are the junctions with High Divide Trail #630, which travels along Excelsior Ridge for 4.5 miles to Welcome Pass, and the Excelsior Pass Trail #670, which drops to meet the Mt. Baker Hwy. 542 in 4.5 miles.
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