Mazama Lake on Chain Lakes Trail

Started this trail during sunset so we didn’t get to the lake until night. Worth it to spend the night. There was lots of space to be away from other backpackers. Very full moon

This is a review for the Mount Baker Ski Area overnight parking area. The name above is less clear but could not change it. The ski are has set aside the area of the Bagley Lake trail head parking lot adjacent to the East Rock Bank for RVs and other vehicles to park overnight. A spot can be reserved online at https://www.roverpass.com/c/mt-baker-ski-area-bellingham-wa/ (25$ for occupied vehicles and $15 for un-occupied)

There are no hook-ups and recreational vehicles must be self-contained. No other overnight parking is allowed anywhere in the vicinities of the ski area (at least in winter).

Fires are allowed only in own fire-pits. Only facility is the forest service maintained outhouse on the south end of the parking lot. The lot itself will fill on week-end with resort skiers and other recreationists (back-country skiers, snowshoers heading to the Mount Baker backcountry. The views are amazing and access to resort and backcountry  skiing cannot be matched (there are no hotels at the resort).

Only cons for us was noise from other campers (we had a very rowdy group camped next to our van) and at 5:30 AM the groomer tractors started parading in the parking lot headed for the slopes so there was no sleep after that. Definitely not the wilderness camping experience but again the ski out of your door experience cannot be matched here!