511now / Answers / Is the Mt. Baker Highway open?
Is the Mt. Baker Highway open right now?
Updated August 19, 2026 · Pictures refresh every few minutes
Only WSDOT can say. Open the official WSDOT Mt. Baker Highway page for today’s rule on SR-542. That page is the rule.
The road to the ski area is plowed through winter. The last stretch — Heather Meadows up to Artist Point — closes every year.
When does Artist Point open?
There is no fixed date. WSDOT digs out the final stretch above Heather Meadows when the snowpack allows — often not until well into summer — and announces it on the SR-542 page. The snow up there is measured in tens of feet; last year’s date tells you nothing about this year.
Where are the cameras?
Honest answer: we could not prove a public, re-hostable camera at the summit or the ski area, so we do not show one. The Mt. Baker Ski Area publishes its own cameras on its own site, and the WSDOT page carries the road status. Our Baker desk lists what we can honestly show — a distant visibility view, clearly labeled.
Do I need chains for SR-542?
Only the posted WSDOT rule can say, and it changes day to day. The upper highway is a snow zone all winter. The full answer is in Do I need chains?
Why the pass can be closed when the picture looks fine
A clear picture does not cancel a posted rule. WSDOT closes and restricts highways for crashes, spun-out vehicles, and winter maintenance — things a still photo may not show. Night glare can look like ice, and an old picture can lie. The posted rule always wins.
Check again before you leave
Storms hit the upper highway hard. Check the WSDOT page right before you leave, and the Baker desk for what we can show.
Sources
- WSDOT Mt. Baker Highway report — the posted rule and Artist Point dates.
- WSDOT mountain passes — every Washington pass.