Here’s why popular Larrabee State Park trail will be closed for several months
A trail to a popular beach south of Bellingham will close for several months as a bridge is built to let hikers cross a set of railroad tracks more safely.
Access to Clayton Beach will close Nov. 1 and open in spring or summer 2023 when construction of a bridge over the BNSF Railway tracks is finished, according to a statement from Washington State Parks.
That bridge project had been announced for completion in summer 2022, but it was delayed.
In addition to the bridge, crews will build a half-mile of new trail and two boardwalks through wetlands along the trail that starts from the Lost Lake parking lot on Chuckanut Drive, said Amber Forest, a State Parks Ranger and area manager for state parks in Whatcom County.
“For decades, visitors have crossed the railroad tracks near a series of turns in the railway, creating safety hazards due to limited sight distance,” Forest said in the statement.
“In addition, beach-goers have had to use steep trails down to the tracks. As part of the work, this existing trail will be formally decommissioned with fencing near the railway. The trail will be replanted and returned to natural conditions,” she said.
