Baker Lake Backpack For Beginners
Baker Lake We’re Comin’
And we’re inviting 6 people to join us for a 3-day, 2-night beginner-friendly backpack excursion along the eastern shores of Baker Lake in the North Cascades. We’re intentionally centering BIPOC community and warmly welcoming all gender representations. It’s going to be supportive, scenic, and so much fun.
Dates: September 25 to 27, 2026.
Contribution: $75 for one person or $100 for two people registering together.
The Vibe
Since our main goal is assisting you in becoming a safe, responsible, self-sufficient backpacker, think of your excursion leaders, Denice Rochelle and Stacy Sarver, as your guidance, not your guides. We’re showing up to help you learn, not to do it for you. This is an intentional space created for you to expand your outdoor narrative in a peer-led environment.
Connecting with the forest, mountain, and water, we’ll have space to be ourselves, unlearn, re-learn, and dial in hiking and camping skills, while bravely comfortably, and joyfully leaning into play that opens paths to ecological awareness and the living world.
Our biggest hope is that by the end of this trip, you’ll feel confident returning to these same trails with your own family and friends.
The Experience
Washington State has three National Parks of which North Cascades is one. North Cascades is unique in that we have free general entrance year-round – no gates, no entrance fee.
Baker Lake offers miles of low-elevation trails for year-round enjoyment. Vision meandering through a lush, moss-draped old-growth forest that crosses creeks and offers big views of Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan reflecting off the lake.
Before, during, and after we’ll cover essentials like preparation, group and self-care on the trail, trail etiquette, setting up camp, Leave No Trace principles, trail hazards, and some naturalist awareness of the local ecology.
Our Plan for the Weekend
Be prepared to comfortably carry your loaded pack up to 5 miles each way along a trail with gentle, rolling elevation gain up to 900 feet. Because the campsites along Baker Lake are first-come, first-served, we’ll need to hike until we find accommodating space.
- Day 1 (Friday): We’ll pull up to 5b’s Bakery (45597 Main St in Concrete) for an equipment check and to snag a sweet treat. From there, we’ll caravan to the Baker Lake East Bank Trailhead, hike out to a campsite, pitch our tents, and enjoy the fruits of our labor.
- Day 2 (Saturday): We’ll enjoy the natural world around us.
- Day 3 (Sunday): After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll break camp, walk back to the cars, say our until next times, caravan back to Highway 20, and peel off in various directions.
What You Need to Know
- Prep Sessions: We definitely recommend that you attend our 2-hour Camping Equipment Demystified event on May 9 to help you prepare for this excursion. We’ll be arranging in-person skills and prep sessions to make sure everyone is totally ready for the trail. (Dates and locations will be coordinated with our group)
- The Basics: Be age 18+, have reliable transportation, and have experience car camping and day hiking. Be able to comfortably hike at least 5 miles each way carrying a loaded backpack (average 25-35 pounds) on an undulating trail at a leisurely, conversational pace.
- Equipment Needs: Learning what equipment to have for the environment we want to go to is part of becoming a self-reliant backpacker. We’ll go over needs and the various ways to get equipment to satisfy those needs, including leaning into the abundance of your friends, cousins, or neighbors to borrow items, or investing in core items if you’re able. We may be able to help fill in your gaps from our small equipment library. Equipment is an investment in your safety, comfort, and confidence and we want to set you up for long-term success.
- Permits: Trailhead parking requires a Northwest Forest Pass or an America The Beautiful Pass. We’ll go over this as part of prep.
- Carpooling: We’ll provide a link later on so folks can self-organize rideshares.
If you can’t participate, but still want to support us, you can always donate to The Bronze Chapter.