Hiking Trails in Bellingham, Washington
Hiking Trails in Bellingham, Washington
Welcome to Bellingham, a beautiful city surrounded by stunning natural landscapes, mountains, and waterways. For those looking to enjoy the great outdoors, Bellingham offers a range of hiking trails perfect for people of all skill levels. If you're specifically looking for easy hikes around 7 miles in length, you're in the right place. This guide covers some fantastic trails that offer not only a good walking path but also scenic views and experiences that will enrich your outing.
1. Chuckanut Mountain Loop Trail
Location & Directions
- Distance from Bellingham: About 10 miles south (20-25 minutes drive).
- Driving Directions: Head south on I-5 and take exit 231 toward Bow Hill. Follow Bow Hill Road until you see the Chuckanut Drive turnoff. Scenic Chuckanut Drive leads to several trailheads.
Trail Overview
- Length: Approximately 6.5 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation Gain: Around 600 feet
- Highlights: Breathtaking views of Bellingham Bay, towering cliffs, and lush forests.
What to Expect The Chuckanut Mountain Loop Trail offers a combination of forested paths and stunning viewpoints of the San Juan Islands and the Cascade Range. You'll meander through groves of Douglas fir and cedar trees, while the occasional opening reveals expansive views of the surrounding landscapes.
Interesting Facts
- The trail is part of the larger Chuckanut Mountain Park, which spans over 2,700 acres.
- This area is rich in biodiversity and is home to various bird species and wildlife.
Visitor Tips
- Arrive early to secure parking, as this trail can get busy, especially on weekends.
- Take your time at the viewpoints – they provide perfect spots for photographs or a picnic.
2. Lake Padden Park Loop Trail
Location & Directions
- Distance from Bellingham: About 5 miles southeast (10-15 minutes drive).
- Driving Directions: Head east on Lakeway Drive and continue until you reach Lake Padden Park.
Trail Overview
- Length: 2.6 miles (you can easily complete multiple laps for a longer outing)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation Gain: Minimal
- Highlights: A scenic lake, wildlife viewing, and well-maintained paths.
What to Expect Lake Padden Park Loop Trail circles the picturesque Lake Padden, providing flat, smooth pathways perfect for all ages and skill levels. The tranquil environment is ideal for a leisurely hike, jog, or even a bicycle ride.
Interesting Facts
- The park was established in the 1970s and serves as a habitat for local wildlife, including ducks and deer.
- The lake is also popular for fishing and offers a serene spot for picnics with family and friends.
Visitor Tips
- Look for the various informational plaques around the park detailing its flora and fauna.
- Enjoy the beach area for a break, or bring along a couple of fishing rods for some lake fishing.
3. Larrabee State Park – Fragrance Lake Trail
Location & Directions
- Distance from Bellingham: About 13 miles south (20-30 minutes drive).
- Driving Directions: Take I-5 South to exit 231, and follow signs to Larrabee State Park.
Trail Overview
- Length: 4 miles each way to Fragrance Lake and back (8 miles total, but can be shortened)
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
- Elevation Gain: Approximately 700 feet
- Highlights: Picturesque lake views, diverse ecosystems, and a variety of flora.
What to Expect Larrabee State Park features various well-marked trails that lead to the beautiful Fragrance Lake. The hike involves mild elevation gains and lush natural surroundings, allowing for enjoyable family hikes.
Interesting Facts
- Larrabee State Park was Washington's first state park, established in 1915.
- The park offers over 2,500 acres of forest and shorelines for outdoor adventures.
Visitor Tips
- Restrooms and picnic areas are available at the park entrance.
- Arrive early in the day to avoid crowds, especially during summer months.
Final Notes
Bellingham is a treasure trove of outdoor adventures, with these hiking trails providing a perfect chance to connect with nature. Always check trail conditions ahead of your visit, and bring along plenty of water and snacks.
Happy hiking in Bellingham!
Adventure Map
Reviews
Andrea Andresa week ago
Beautiful. Nice to see a sunset. Easy trail/walk to the ocean. Wouldn't want to have a wide vehicle or camper on this road.
JP G (Greywulf73)5 months ago
Have tried to visit this park for many years. Fortunately, we were finally able to do so. This park is located along Chuckanut Drive, in Coastal Washington, between Fairhaven and Edison or The larger township of Burlington.
The drive has been a favourite of mine and many others because of its picturesque landscape, replete with high-above the ware coastal vistas and drive-through grove.
Larrabee, as a park is quite large and we only visited the west-side (west of the drive), which has campgrounds and picnics areas, as well as a couple of beaches, accessible by foot, via trail or rounding of the point during low tide. We have not explored the east side of the park which has many hiking trails that can take you to cedar Lake and Pine lake to the South East, Old Salish Road to the East and connect to other trails that can take you as far as South Bellingham. I hear those trails are fantastic, which, in a way, is evidenced by the number of hikers that brave parking along the narrow Chuckanut drive road throughout the week.
For me, the part I did visit was beautiful and I would like to return to camp at some point. The park has everything from walk-in and drive-in, single un serviced tenting, to family tenting, to group tenting campsites to van and full hookups and dumpsite for RVs. They have flushing toilets and showers, a boat launch and separate picnic areas with day-use shelters for those cold, windy or rainy days.
Pets are allowed, as long as they remain on leash.
We stopped at the day/picnic area and decided to head down to the beach. Along the way, we took a short switchback trail that took us to the south day-use shelter and found there to be an open-air theatre (Band Shell) close to the (Henry Mural) tunnel which takes you under the train tracks to get to the beach trails.
The tunnel, know as the Henry Mural tunnel is colourfully painted but unlit. The trail to the beach is relatively easy but inaccessible to those on a wheelchair or difficult for some using a walker or cane. After the tunnel, there are two beach trails, we took the north trail which is a bit shorter. There are some steep steps to get to the beach.
The beach itself is made up of small pebbles and wind-worn sandstone at the point. The beach was clean but busy.
When the tide is low, one can walk from the beach to the boat launch beach. This beach is mostly composed of large boulders and small open sandy spots. There is a lot of seaweed in this location.
The boat ramp is a bit steep but useable. We saw at least two boats floated and picked up while we were there and there was no drama. There were also many kayakers and paddle boarders putting there. The walk to the beach takes 5 minutes. Around the point to the boat-launch, anywhere between 15-30 minutes, depending on your agility.
The park seemed very clean everywhere we walked. We drove around the tenting sites and the RV’ing sites and they all seemed clean. Although during the day, the sites seemed quiet and everyone respectful. At the time, there was a fire ban, meaning that no open flames are allowed - pretty standard now, during hot summer days in many Canadian and Washington parks. We did use the picnic area restrooms and they too were clean.
I do recommend anyone wanting to camp there, to take a drive or walk around the site. It is a place I would have taken my kids when they were younger.
All park visitors require a Discover Pass to picnic or camp.
Someday, I will return and explore the trails with my wife and pup. Just have to plan, and get there early as we are slow hikers who get winded easily…🤪
Chelsea Facey7 months ago
My kids, large dog and I were on our way home from a hike and saw the entrance for the park and thought it would be fun to stop and take a quick peek at the views. We were very pleasantly surprised by a wonderful park! Playground, grassy hillside area with a stage and covered area, and then you can walk down the hillside on a gravel/dirt and root path through the forest to a beach with incredible views! It was a small pebble type beach with a creek flowing down the hill and into the ocean. The water was calm and the skies were clear and the views at nearly sunset were breathtaking. My kids found rocks to climb on and little tide pools full of hermit crabs and barnacles and dubbed today the best day ever.
PhilE Sloniker7 months ago
My family brought me here for Father's Day. There were a lot of nice views and trails with views of the mountains and water. It was very enjoyable and relaxing. Plenty of parking in many different areas depending on where you would like to explore.
Tiffany C.8 months ago
Beautiful place ever. Definitely a great place to visit. The chucknut drive part is pretty but roads are tight. There’s plenty of bathrooms, campgrounds, camping, BBQ pits, benches, water spots for drinking. Takes about a 5 minute hike to the water to the right. Then to the left is trails for awesome view points. Down at the beach which is kind of a small one. If you go to the left there’s rocks you can easily climb to get to other side of beach area. The rocks have lots of sea life in them. Some the rocks are slippery but majority of them are not. There’s a public boat launch. Then a sign where you get cut off for the homes on the water. Lots of seashells, sea glass so much of it by the boat launch. Takes about a whole 20 minutes to walk both beaches. Such a beautiful pretty place. Lots of parking. $10 to park unless you have a pass.
