Trail detour planned as shoreline work begins at Bellingham’s Boulevard Park
Boulevard Park visitors will find a detour along the South Bay Trail for three months starting next month, as the city moves forward with plans to reinforce the shoreline against tidal erosion and create two new beaches.
Construction is expected to last from October through December, the Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department said Monday in a social media post.
“During construction, there will be reduced access to parking, including no access to EV charging stations, the shoreline, trail and turf areas south and west of the Woods Coffee shop. Other areas of the park, including the restrooms, will remain open,” the Parks Department said.
City of Bellingham spokeswoman Melissia Morin told The Herald that the project would start about Oct. 15, depending on the contractor’s schedule.
A trail detour can be used while the park is open — generally 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The South Bay Trail through the park will be closed after hours because some construction must be done at night, according to previous Herald reporting.
Plans for the project were presented at an Aug. 11 City Council meeting.
Work is planned from the Woods Coffee location southward to the shoreline beneath a trestle on the South Bay Trail, in an area that’s been fenced off because of erosion from the storms of November 2021 that caused more than $200 million in flooding and other damages across Whatcom County.
The project was originally planned for last winter.
This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 1:19 PM.
