The Hiker Mama

Shadow of the Sentinels

Distance: 0.5 mile loop

Elevation Gain: Negligible

Maximum Elevation: 1025 feet

Season: Year-round

Description: This short loop trail is part boardwalk and part gravel. It leads curious hikers through a grove of impressive old growth trees. Take your time and examine the moss, the lichens, the leaves and insects. Look for red huckleberries in summer, fungi in fall, and enjoy the interpretive signs year-round. You might hear birds or squirrels, and you won’t encounter very many other hikers here. There is also a display of a cross-section of a giant log in the parking lot.

Directions: From I-5, take Exit 230 in Burlington for the North Cascades Highway (Hwy 20) and head east. Travel east for 23 miles and turn left/north onto Baker Lake Road. Continue on this road for about 15 miles, and watch for the trailhead on the right, just past the Kulshan Guard Station.

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