If you’re looking for pretty places to stretch your legs during this long holiday week, head out on these three family-friendly hikes.
Birch Bay State Park
Difficulty: Easy.
Round trip: There’s 8,255 feet of saltwater shoreline on Birch Bay, or follow a half-mile trail that loops through the woods to Terrell Creek Marsh to see one of the few remaining saltwater/freshwater estuaries in north Puget Sound, according to parks officials.
Users: Beach-lovers of all ages. Dogs need to be on a leash.
Why you’ll like it: On a sunny day, Birch Bay sparkles. If that landscape wasn’t pretty enough, you also get gorgeous views of the North Cascades mountains and Canadian Gulf Islands.
You should know: A Discover Pass is required to park. The cost is $30 a year or $10 a day. Or park for free on Jan. 1.
Getting there: From Interstate 5, take exit 266 and turn left onto WA-548 N/Grandview Road. Continue on Grandview to Jackson Road. Turn right. Take Jackson to Helweg Road. Turn left and follow Helweg to the park. From downtown Bellingham, it’s a roughly 22-mile drive.
Why you’ll like it: This is an easy-going outing that starts in Bellingham with one steep section in Arroyo Park. You’ll go through mostly wooded areas and be treated to views of Bellingham and Chuckanut bays, as well as of the San Juan Islands. Best of all, this system branches off and hooks you up to many more miles of trails on Chuckanut Mountain, in case you truly feel the urge to walk off your holiday feasting.
Arroyo Park is its own treat. Step into the beautiful space and among shades of green so varied and deep that you’ll expect to see magical woodland creatures. But the true magic is in the serenity you’ll find under the forested canopy in this 85-acre park in south Bellingham, established in 1923.
Getting there: The main trailhead for this part of the Interurban, which connects the Fairhaven district with Larrabee State Park via an old railroad bed, is at 10th Street and Donovan Avenue for access from the north. Access from the south is at Larrabee State Park.
You should know: A Discover Pass is required if you park at Larrabee State Park; $10 for a day pass and $30 for an annual pass. You also can wait until Jan. 1, when state parks access is free to encourage visitors to take part in a First Day Hike, a nationwide effort aimed at getting people outdoors on New Year’s Day.
The Discover Pass isn’t required if you access the park at 10th Street and Donovan Avenue.
Map: Go to cob.org and type “Bellingham Trail Guide” into the search window.
Bridge over Chuckanut Creek in Arroyo Park in Bellingham. Kie Relyea The Bellingham Herald
Hertz Trail
Difficulty: Easy.
Round trip: 6.2 miles.
Users: Hikers and bicyclists. The first quarter-mile of the trail is accessible to wheelchairs.
Why you’ll like it: This trail at Lake Whatcom Park near Bellingham is usually packed with people on sunny warm days but it’s not as busy during winter. That makes it perfect for a leisurely walk, ride or run along a well-maintained trail.
You get a little bit of everything — a short walk through lush forest before the trail opens to lovely views of Lake Whatcom and Lookout Mountain — as well as sandstone cliffs, some large Douglas firs, and two small creeks with scenic waterfalls (depending on the time of the year).
Getting there: Follow North Shore Drive around the north end of Lake Whatcom past Agate Bay and across the bridge at Smith Creek. The route will turn into Northshore Road. Turn left (if coming from Bellingham) at the North Lake Whatcom Park sign. Follow the road and then park at the well-marked trailhead at the end of the road in the main parking area.
Kie Relyea has been a reporter at The Bellingham Herald since 1997 and currently writes about social services and recreation in Whatcom County. She started her career in 1991 as a reporter and editor in Northern California.
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