The pavement ends at a car park on a ridge, and a short paved path leads to the best view in the North Cascades. Artist Point stands at around fifty-one hundred feet at the end of the Mount Baker Highway, and from the edge you look straight across a valley to Mount Shuksan, a jagged pyramid of dark rock and white ice, while the rounded, glaciated cone of Mount Baker sits close at hand to the west. Painters and photographers have been coming for a century, hence the name.
The road up is only open for part of the year. Heavy winter snow buries it, often deeply, and the last stretch is cleared in early summer, sometimes not until July, and shut again with the first big storm of autumn. Even in midsummer, snow patches survive beside the car park, and wildflowers bloom in a rush as soon as the ground thaws, with lupines, paintbrush and avalanche lilies making the meadows look painted. If you ride up in August or September you will probably have the best chance of clear weather.
The final miles climb through Heather Meadows, a high basin of subalpine meadow and small tarns, passing Picture Lake, where the mountain reflects in still water on a calm morning. The road is narrow, with steep drop-offs in places, sharp turns and a patchy surface after winter, so ride carefully, especially if mist or cloud rolls in. Temperatures can be twenty degrees lower than in the lowlands, and the wind can be sharp. Marmots whistle among the rocks, and mountain goats sometimes cross the high slopes.
A recreation pass is normally required for parking at trailheads and lots in the national forest, so check before you go. Short trails lead from the car park, including a gentle loop around the lookout and routes toward Table Mountain, but the weather is changeable and you should wear proper footwear. Fog can close in within minutes, so if the view is hidden, wait a while, because it often clears.