State & City Parks Nearby
Here is a listing, by area, of some of our favorite places. It is not a complete list, it's just places we have visited and can happily recommend. Check back often, this list will continue to grow! If you come across someplace wonderful, please add your review to the Blog page!
Birch Bay & Blaine Area | Bellingham, Fairhaven, Chuckanut Drive | Mt. Baker
Birch Bay & Blaine Area
Birch Bay State Park
Birch Bay State Park is a 194-acre Washington state park located nine miles south of Blaine in Whatcom County. The park has 8,255 feet of saltwater shoreline on Birch Bay and 15,000 feet of freshwater shoreline along Terrell Creek. BIRCH BAY STATE PARK INFORMATION
Located only a few blocks from Whitehorn Cottage the precise address for Birch Bay State Park is 5105 Helweg Rd, Blaine, WA 98230 (360) 371-2800. You can walk or take a car to the entrance, and obtain a Discover Pass/Permit there.
PICNIC & DAY-USE FACILITIES
The park has six sheltered and 120 unsheltered picnic tables. There is one kitchen shelter with electricity and water that is on a first-come, first-served basis, and one reservable picnic shelter without electricity that can accommodate up to 150 guests. The reservable picnic shelter can be reserved online or by calling (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.
CONCESSIONS
Sugar Shack Ice Cream - Everyone loves ice cream! Sugar Shack mobile ice cream has been serving the visitors of Birch Bay for over 10 years now. Featuring a variety of ice cream snacks, the mobile truck sets up in the day use area of Birch Bay and makes a swing through the camp loops every evening. They operate May through September.
ACTIVITIES
Trails: 0.5 miles of hiking trails, boating, boat ramp, clamming, crabbing, kiteboarding, oyster harvesting, Personal water craft use, swimming, etc.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Birch Bay is a popular destination for hard shell clamming and is abundant in Dungeness crab. Harvest season normally begins mid-August.
A recreational license is required for fishing and shellfish harvesting at Washington State Parks. For regulations, fishing season information, or to purchase a recreational license, visit the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
OTHER ACTIVITIES & FEATURES
Amphitheater, Basketball court, Playground, Beach exploration, Bird watching, Fire circles (6), Wildlife viewing, Oyster harvesting, Personal watercraft use, Swimming
The entire main strip in the middle of Birch Bay, in town, is accessible from the road with public parking in multiple locations near the Visitor Center. Additionally, there are also many beach access points located between cottages on the southern side of the bay with some offering limited parking space. Restaurants, breweries, food trucks, and charming shops can be found directly across from the beach all up and down Bay Bay Drive. Sunsets from anywhere along this beach are always stunning!
Semiahmoo Park & Beach
Also nearby is Semiahmoo Park. Less than a 10-minute drive from Birch Bay is Semiahoo Spit and the long beaches of Semiahmoo Park. The beach is just over a mile from the park to the resort and features a mix of rocks and sand. You can also cross to the Drayton Harbor side of the spit where a trail runs all the way down to the marina. The marina has floating concrete barriers and you’ll often see the seals sunning themselves here.
Point Whitehorn Reserve Beach
Very near Whitehorn Cottage (the red pin drop) is Whitehorn Reserve Beach You can drive there in 3 minutes if you like and park as noted by the red circles. It takes a 1 mile hike through the beautiful Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve to get down to the beach but you’ll be rewarded with a quiet windswept cobble beach that extends from the point all the way down to the BP tanker docks. You could walk for miles here along the bluffs and not see another person. A great place to stop for a picnic after hiking the nature reserve trail.
Bellingham, Fairhaven, Chuckanut Drive AND Beyond
Whatcom Falls Park
One of our absolute favorite places.
There's something for everyone at Whatcom Falls Park in Bellingham. Best known for its namesake waterfall, you can check this stunning landmark off your Bellingham bucket list in as little as 15 minutes. But there’s so much more to discover beyond the falls. Spend an hour or two exploring more than five miles of trail spread across 241 acres. With playgrounds, bike-friendly paths, and an off-leash dog area, Whatcom Falls Park is a great place for the whole family. Plus, trail maps installed in 2019 make it easy to find your way around.
How to Get to Whatcom Falls Park
The park’s close proximity to Bellingham makes it easy to access for your daily dose of nature. The park is located at 1401 Electric Avenue in Bellingham. For specific hours, amenities, and entrance maps, visit the City of Bellingham's Whatcom Falls page.
Whatcom Falls Park is a 241-acre park in Bellingham, Washington, United States. The falls are on Whatcom Creek, which leads from Lake Whatcom to Bellingham Bay. The park has four sets of waterfalls and several miles of well-maintained walking trails. Other features include a Fishing pond – for children 14 and under only. Wikipedia
Address: 1401 Electric Ave, Bellingham, WA 98229
Hours: Closes 10 PM
Marine Park Fairhaven
A family favorite of ours.
This beautiful stretch of 1.9-acre waterfront park is located in Fairhaven near the Bellingham Cruise Terminal. It features a gently sloping beach ideal for beach combing, bird watching, and kayaking. A newly renovated picnic shelter is perfect for any type of outdoor gathering on a first-come first-use basis. Featuring a picnic shelter & small, pebbly beach for launching kayaks.
Address: 100 Harris Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
Hours: Open ⋅ Closes 8 PM
Boulevard Park and Boardwalk
A wonderful park in the center of Bellingham Bay Shoreline. Sunsets viewed from here are unparalleled. You can follow the boardwalk all the way to Fairhaven... can't say enough good about this relaxing park.
Stop for a coffee at Woods, watch the Bay and enjoy the park and stroll the boardwalk over to Fairhaven - family-friendly, dog-friendly, etc...
Address: Bayview Dr, Bellingham, WA 98225
Chuckanut Drive
Take the time to stop at the scenic view opportunities, you will be glad you did! This Drive is spectacular and is consistently rated as one of the Top 10 most beautiful drives in the United States!
Hugging the shoreline just south of Bellingham, WA, Chuckanut Drive is Washington State's original scenic byway. Shown on maps as WA State Highway 11, the route begins at I-5 exit 231 in Burlington and continues 20 miles north to Bellingham. This is a favorite and historic entry into Whatcom County. At milepost 14, Chuckanut Drive passes Larrabee State Park, the first designated State Park in Washington. With access to the beach, tide pools, and trails, and encompassing 2,000+ acres, Larrabee is a favorite among locals and visitors alike.
A must-watch video: https://youtu.be/9q5qZWoUrEk
Larrabee State Park
A must-stop-and-enjoy sort of place on Chuckanut Drive.
Larrabee State Park is a public recreation area located on Samish Bay on the western side of Chuckanut Mountain, 6 mi south of the city of Bellingham, Washington. It was created in 1915 as Washington's first state park.
Set on the seaward side of Chuckanut Mountain near Bellingham, Larrabee State Park is known for its postcard views of Samish Bay and the San Juan Islands. It is also Washington's first state park.
This unique camping park on famed Chuckanut Drive offers boating, paddling, fishing, shellfish harvesting, diving, teeming tide pools and perfect spots for quiet contemplation, child play or a romantic date.
Address: 245 Chuckanut Dr, Bellingham, WA 98229
Mt Baker National Recreation Area
Mt. Baker National Recreation Area
Mt Baker National Recreation Area-Information
Located on the west side of the Cascades between the Canadian border and Mt. Rainier National Park, you will find glacier-covered peaks, spectacular mountain meadows and old-growth forests rich in history and outdoor opportunities. Mount Baker National Recreation Area is a United States national recreation area in northern Washington about 15 miles south of the Canada–US border within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Address: Deming, WA 98244
Artist Point
A must-see if the road is open. Go play in the snow in July and August - the views are stunning! Afternoons usually offer the best, most clear skies.
Important Information Stop at the Ranger Station Building... it’s amazing and a good place to bring a picnic on your way up to Artist Point!
This trailhead at the end of a highway offers seasonal hiking with views of Mount Shuksan & Baker.
Address: Deming, WA 98244
Hours: Open 24 hours
Elevation: 5,100 ft mountaineers.org