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Washington State Department of Transportation – NEWS
Northwest Region – 15700 Dayton Ave. N. – Shoreline, WA 98133 – 206-440-4000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2025
Contact: Madison Sehlke, communications, 360-899-0042
SR 542 Road to Artist Point at Mount Baker will open for the season Friday, June 27
GLACIER – It’s officially summer in Whatcom County! The final 2.7 miles of State Route 542/Mount Baker Highway, also known as the Road to Artist Point, will open for the season at 8 a.m. Friday, June 27, just ahead of the Fourth of July weekend.
Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews removed up to 20 feet of snow covering the highway and the Artist Point parking lot.
Vault toilets and garbage cans are available at Artist Point, although there is still a lot of snow in the area. All trails accessed from Artist Point remain under deep snow, and most signs with directional maps are still unavailable. 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.
The U.S. Forest Service’s Heather Meadows Visitor Center also will open for the season Friday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. People will need the appropriate recreational pass for use of the area. When the roadway is reopened, travelers should still expect WSDOT maintenance and U.S. Forest Service crews along SR 542, as they continue to maintain the road through the season.
After it reopens each summer, more than 650 vehicles per day travel to Artist Point. Close to 40,000 people visit the Glacier Public Service Center throughout the year to get required permits and check weather conditions ahead of their outdoor adventures.
Each year, crews remove snow and ice from the highway up to the Heather Meadows area throughout the winter. However, the last 2.7 miles of SR 542 is narrow, has sharp curves and steep slopes. Each fall the road closes to vehicle traffic for safety, typically with the first snowfall. After the highway closes for winter, a portion of it becomes part of the Mt. Baker Ski Area.
In 2024, the Road to Artist Point opened on June 21 and closed Oct. 16.
People can find real-time updates for the road to Artist Point on the WSDOT Mount Baker Highway Mountain Pass page, the WSDOT Travel Map and X/formerly Twitter @wsdot_north.
Hyperlinks within the release:
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WSDOT keeps people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state's transportation systems. To learn more about what we're doing, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news for pictures, videos, news and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at wsdot.com/traffic.
Americans with Disabilities Act Information
This material can be made available in an alternate format by emailing the Office of Equity and Civil Rights at wsdotada@wsdot.wa.gov or by calling toll free, 855-362-4ADA (4232). Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may make a request by calling the Washington State Relay at 711.
Title VI Notice to Public
It is the Washington State Department of Transportation’s policy to assure that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise discriminated against under any of its programs and activities. Any person who believes his or her Title VI protection has been violated, may file a complaint with WSDOT’s Office of Equity and Civil Rights (OECR). For additional information regarding Title VI complaint procedures and/or information regarding our non-discrimination obligations, please contact OECR’s Title VI Coordinator at (360) 705-7090
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