Watson Lakes

Sunset from Anderson Butte

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This past weekend brought one last “summer”-esque pattern of weather so I decided to find someplace to go for sunset. After researching some options, I decided to head out for Anderson Butte, which is located just along the perimeter of the Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness in the vicinity of Baker Lake. The site of a former fire lookout, it’s accessed via a spur trail off of the main trail that travels to Watson and Anderson Lakes. The trailhead is located above 4,000 feet so you’re already treated to great views of the Baker Lake valley and Mount Baker.

The trailhead is located high on a ridge along the east bank of Baker Lake. It’s accessed by crossing the Baker Lake Dam and heading up the Forest Service road 12 miles. From the trailhead, it’s a short mile through the forest brings you to a small meadow within a ravine and the junction for the Anderson Butte Trail. Although the wildflower season was long over, the huckleberries were in absolutely prime conditions and located everywhere. I had arrived early to the area so that I could make some quick sidetrips to check out the lakes in the area.

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The Anderson Lakes were by far the more picture-esque lakes:

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Another brief sidetrip to the Watson Lakes didn’t reveal too much so I turned around to make it up to Anderson Butte. The trail to the Butte starts out gently but has a short, steep stretch before joining the ridgeline below the lookout. The payoff is immediate and fantastic but just gets better when you finally reach the site of the former lookout. From this vantage point, the Cascades drop off all around you. Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan dominate the view but American Border Peak, Mount Rainier, the Olympics and Mount Redoubt are all visible as well.

On this day, patchy clouds drifted throughout the area which added interest during sunset. Unfortunately, Mount Baker remained mostly cloudy but it was still a fantastic sunset. This spot is truly a gem and I’ll be adding this into my annual rotation of destinations (if not more than once a year!).

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