Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · Washington

Bell Pass

5.3 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 603.3 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse

Begins at the forest's mile 0, 48.6973, -121.9106 - no trailhead mapped Drive to where the trail begins

Park Butte Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

 A Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass is required at all times when the trailhead is accessible.

Provides access to : Park Butte Trail 603 , Scott Paul Trail 603.1 , Railroad Grade Trail 603.2 , Bell Pass Trail 603.3 .

This trailhead is the primary access point for Mt. Baker National Recreation Area.

Restrictions <ul sizcache05924457522282799="1.0.34" sizset="false"><li>The Park Butte lookout is inside the Mt. Baker Wilderness boundary. <u><a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mbs/specialplaces/?cid=fsbdev7_001639">Wilderness regulations</a></u>&nbsp;limit party size to 12 members, including stock or llama.</li><li>Mt. Baker National Recreation Area is open to snowmobiles when snow depth at the trailhead is at least 24 inches. Other motorized vehicles and bicycles are not permitted.</li><li>Camping in the National Recreation Area is allowed only in the designated camps.</li><li>No fires allowed in the National Recreation Area.</li><li>Camping or being in an area closed for rehabilitation is prohibited.</li><li>Passenger vehicles are prohibited from parking in the stock vehicle parking area&nbsp;July 1 &ndash; Oct. 31.&nbsp;</li></ul>

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Pioneer Camp Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

No fee.

Provides access to: Elbow Lake Trail #697 which accesses Bell Pass Trail 603.3 and Mt. Baker Wilderness .

Restrictions <ul><li>Elbow Lake trail is a hiker and stock trail. &nbsp;Open to stock&nbsp;July 1 - Oct. 31. &nbsp;Open to llamas year round.</li><li>The trail enters the <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mbs/recarea/?recid=79421">Mt. Baker Wilderness</a> where wilderness regulations limits parties to 12 members, including stock or llama.&nbsp;</li><li>Forest Service Road 12 is closed and gated Nov. 1 - June 30 at Wanlick Pass, 6.4 miles before the Pioneer Camp Trailhead to protect elk breeding habitat.&nbsp;</li><li>Forest Service Road 12 is gated at milepost 13.9, past the junction to Pioneer Camp trailhead. Use is limited to maintenance of a Snotel site by Whatcom County.&nbsp;</li></ul>

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

All 377 trails in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.