Mount Shuksan
Mount Shuksan rises to 2,784 m in Washington. Mount Baker stands 3,287 m to the west-southwest, 10 miles off. The nearest named place is Winnies Slide, a cliff 0.6 miles away. JCT SR 5 VIC BELLINGHAM TO AUSTIN PASS VIC MT BAKER passes 3.2 miles off.
The story
Mount Shuksan (/ˈʃəksɪn/) is a glaciated massif in the North Cascades National Park. Shuksan rises in Whatcom County, Washington immediately to the east of Mount Baker, and 11.6 miles (18.7 km) south of the Canada–US border. The mountain's name Shuksan is derived from the Lummi word [šéqsən], said to mean "high peak". The highest point on the mountain is a three-sided peak known as Summit Pyramid. The mountain is composed of Shuksan greenschist, oceanic basalt that was metamorphosed when the Easton terrane collided with the west coast of North America, approximately 120 million years ago. The mountain is an eroded remnant of a thrust plate formed by the Easton collision.
The Mount Baker Highway, State Route 542, is kept open during the winter to support Mt. Baker Ski Area. In late summer, the road to Artist Point allows visitors to travel a few miles higher for a closer view of the peak. Picture Lake is accessible on the highway and reflects the mountain, making it a popular site for photography. Sulphide Creek Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in North America, plunges off the southeastern flank of Mount Shuksan. There are four other tall waterfalls that spill off Mount Shuksan and neighboring Jagged Ridge and Seahpo Peak, mostly sourced from small snowfields and glaciers. The traditional name of Mount Shuksan in the Nooksack language is Shéqsan ("high foot") or Ch’ésqen ("golden eagle"). Both the Nooksack and Lummi are indigenous tribes who have occupied the watersheds of the Nooksack Rivers and Lummi River, respectively. They are both federally recognized tribes in the United States. The first ascent of Mount Shuksan is usually attributed to Asahel Curtis and W. Montelius Price on September 7, 1906. However, in a 1907 letter to the editor of the Mazamas club journal, C. E. Rusk attributed the first ascent to Joseph Morowits in 1897. He said that he himself would have attempted it in 1903 if he had not been sure that it had already been climbed.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q1788022, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 2784 m
How to reach it
- 3.2 mi off the JCT SR 5 VIC BELLINGHAM TO AUSTIN PASS VIC MT BAKER
- 18.4 mi off the JCT KEYSTONE FERRY ZONE WHIDBEY ISLAND TO JCT SR 153 VIC TWISP
- 18.4 mi off the Cascade Loop, National
- 25.0 mi off the JCT SR 542 VIC KENDALL TO JCT SR 9 AT CANADIAN BORDER
Overlooks nearby
- Artist Point · 4 mi
- Nooksack Falls Viewpoint · 11 mi
- Viewpoint Dam · 21 mi
- Diablo Lake Overlook · 25 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- The Hourglass: 0.7 mi
- Nooksack Tower: 0.8 mi
- Fisher Chimney: 1.3 mi
- Seahpo Peak: 2.6 mi
- Mount Ann: 3.1 mi
- Sulphide Creek Falls: 2.6 mi
- Rainbow Falls: 5.4 mi
- Upper Morovitz Falls: 6.0 mi
- Lower Morovitz Falls: 6.0 mi
- Mazama Falls: 6.4 mi
- Liumchen Ecological Reserve: 17.5 mi
- Trillium Conservation Area: 19.2 mi
- Diobsud Creek Barbien/Jordan Conservation Easement: 19.5 mi
- Diobsud Creek Abel Conservation Area: 20.4 mi
- Jackman Creek Conservation Area: 22.1 mi
- Vogler Lake Public Access: 19.5 mi
- Lake Shannon Recreation Area: 19.9 mi
- Garden Club Park: 21.1 mi
- Upper Skagit Garden Park: 21.1 mi
- Veterans Memorial Park: 21.2 mi
- Winnies Slide: 0.6 mi
- Park Cliffs: 8.8 mi
- Roman Wall: 10.8 mi
- Lee Promontory: 12.7 mi
- The Palisades: 13.3 mi
- Austin Pass Picnic Area: 4.0 mi
- Shuksan Picnic Area: 6.6 mi
- Mount Baker Vista: 13.8 mi
- Temple of Power: 19.5 mi
- Lumberjack Mural: 21.2 mi
- Homespun Kinetic Art: 24.5 mi
- Gorge Powerhouse Visitor Gallery: 19.7 mi
- Skagit Aero Education Museum: 21.9 mi
- Black Mountain Forestry Center: 23.7 mi
- Shadow of the Sentinels: 12.3 mi
- "Old Number 6" Seattle City Light Locomotive: 19.5 mi
- Baker Hot Springs: 5.8 mi
- North Cascading: 19.5 mi
- Angele Cupples Community Garden: 21.5 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 12.7 miles of Mount Shuksan. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Baker | WSW 249° | 3,287 m | 10.4 mi |
| Lahar Lookout | WSW 247° | 3,069 m | 10.4 mi |
| Sherman Peak | WSW 245° | 3,020 m | 10.6 mi |
| Colfax Peak | WSW 249° | 2,851 m | 11.7 mi |
| Lincoln Peak | WSW 250° | 2,695 m | 12.4 mi |
| Nooksack Tower | ENE 64° | 2,530 m | 0.8 mi |
| Mount Challenger | E 88° | 2,501 m | 11.9 mi |
| Crooked Thumb Peak | E 91° | 2,476 m | 11.9 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:10 | 18:38 | 19:19 |
| June solstice | 05:04 | 20:24 | 21:14 |
| September equinox | 06:54 | 18:25 | 19:06 |
| December solstice | 08:58 | 16:17 | 17:13 |
Local time (America/Vancouver).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 33 | 36 | 40 | 46 | 53 | 57 | 63 | 63 | 58 | 48 | 39 | 34 |
| Precip in | 15.3 | 8.8 | 10.4 | 6.7 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 4.8 | 10.5 | 16.0 | 14.1 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Upper Baker DAM, 13 mi away.
Inside the official boundary of North Cascades National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Dec and Mar; busiest: Jul.
NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/349028214
Day trips start here
- Mount Baker · 10 mi
Take the scenic way to Mount Shuksan.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.