Family can enjoy Hemlock Trail hike

Raptor Ridge side trip offers great vistas

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HEMLOCK TRAIL TO RAPTOR RIDGE

This is a beautiful hike in the fall with all the golden leaves, courtesy of big-leaf maple, and it’s not bad the rest of the year either. Go if you want a long hike that dips and rises, giving your legs a nice workout, through some gorgeous woods. Take the spur off to Raptor Ridge, it adds less than a mile to the hike, for a chance to stand on top of a sandstone bluff with views of Mount Rainier, Chuckanut Ridge and Blanchard Mountain. Vultures, eagles and hawks can sometimes be glimpsed circling in the updrafts.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Elevation gain: 1,600 feet.

Round trip: 8.8 miles, with the side trip to Raptor Ridge.

Hiking time: 3 hours 22 minutes.

Best time to go: Year-round.

Users: Hikers, cyclists and horses on Hemlock Trail. Hikers only on Raptor Ridge Trail.

Family friendly: Yes, but keep a sharp eye on children at the top of Raptor Ridge; it’s a long way down. The trail is muddy in places and the spur to Raptor Ridge will require walking over some rocks.

Dogs: Dogs must be on a leash at all times.

Amenities: Portable toilet at the North Chuckanut Mountain Trailhead.

Maps: USGS Bellingham South (7.5 series). Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Department. Find it online at www.co.whatcom.wa.us/parks/ . Click on “Chuckanut” under “Trails,” and then “View Map.” Driving directions: From Bellingham, head south on Chuckanut Drive to the parking lot for the North Chuckanut Mountain Trailhead, near California Street.

Getting there: From the trailhead, walk on the Interurban Trail for about a ½-mile until it hooks up with Hemlock Trail. Veer right and go up Hemlock Trail. Stay on the trail until it ends at the junction with Pine and Cedar Lakes Trail. You will have traveled 4 miles from where you parked.

Find your way to Raptor Ridge by taking the spur trail that’s 0.8 mile from the end of the Hemlock Trail. It gets cold and windy on top of the ridge so dress appropriately. Step carefully, as the sandstone bluff may be slippery.

If your goal is simply to get to Raptor Ridge, the shortest way is from the trailhead for Pine and Cedar lakes on the south side of Old Samish Highway, about two miles east of Chuckanut Drive.