A Guide to Bellingham Parks: Embracing Outdoor Living in Washington
When people tell us why they moved to Bellingham, the parks come up a lot. There are a lot of them for a city this size and they get used hard, in every kind of weather. These are the ones we send people to, roughly from the middle of town outward. Dog rules, parking and hours change, so the links go to the official page for each park.
In town
Whatcom Falls Park is the one we would show a visitor first. The creek drops through the park in a series of falls, the main one is a short walk from the parking lot, and you watch it from an old stone bridge. Past the bridge there are miles of trail through tall forest, and those trails link up with paths into the surrounding neighborhoods, so plenty of people arrive on foot. It is good on a hot day and honestly even better after a week of rain, when the falls are loud.
Cornwall Park is the big everyday park on the north side, with tennis courts, sports fields, forest trails, open meadow and a collection of magnolias that people make a point of visiting in spring. The Cornwall Rose Garden is right beside it, with dozens of varieties. It is an easy place to lose an hour in June.
Elizabeth Park is a neighborhood park in Columbia, one of the oldest parts of town, and it is known for its summer concert series. Families bring blankets and dinner, and the kids run in circles around the adults until it gets dark. If you are trying to get a feel for a neighborhood before buying in it, an evening like that tells you a lot.
On the bay
Boulevard Park is probably the best loved park in the city. It sits on the shore of Bellingham Bay with lawn, a playground and beach access, and its boardwalk runs out over the water on the route between downtown and Fairhaven. This is where people go to watch the sun set behind the islands. On a warm evening a good part of town seems to be there, and nobody minds.
Zuanich Point Park is on Squalicum Harbor, beside the marina, and it is where you go to look at boats. There is a wide paved promenade for walking and biking, a playground and picnic tables, with the fishing fleet and the sailboats right in front of you. It is a working harbor, and the park nods to that history. It also tends to be breezy when the rest of town is still.
The south side
Fairhaven Park is the family park for the south end of town, with a playground, picnic areas and a large lawn. Trails lead out of it through the woods, and you can follow them down into the Fairhaven district for lunch afterward.
Lake Padden Park has a bit of everything. People swim, fish and kayak on the lake, and the path around it is one of the busiest walks and runs in town. Back in the hills behind the lake there are rougher trails for hikers and mountain bikers. The park also has a golf course, tennis courts and pickleball courts. If you live on the south side, you will probably end up here a couple of times a week without ever really deciding to.
Galbraith Mountain
Galbraith is the reason some people move to Bellingham. It is a very large network of mountain bike trails on the edge of town, looked after by the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition and a lot of volunteers, with trails for every level from a first ride to riders who travel here from other states for it. Hikers and trail runners use it too. If riding is central to your life, tell us, because which side of town you live on decides whether you pedal to the trailhead or drive to it.
Chuckanut and Larrabee
South of town the Chuckanut hills come right down to salt water. Larrabee State Park was Washington’s first state park. It has a rocky shoreline with views across to the islands, freshwater lakes up in the hills, rugged trails that connect the two, and camping and picnic areas. Chuckanut Mountain Park, run by the county, covers more of the same ridge, with trails up to viewpoints over the San Juan Islands. It is all a short drive from town along Chuckanut Drive. We have a page about living in Chuckanut, and the drive itself is one of our six day trips.
Semiahmoo
Semiahmoo Park is the furthest away, up near the border at Blaine. It sits on a narrow spit with Drayton Harbor on one side and Semiahmoo Bay on the other, and shoreline trails run along both. Birdwatchers love it. The spit was once the site of an Alaska Packers Association salmon cannery, and a small museum in the park tells the story of fishing and canning there. Check that the museum is open before you go, and go on a clear day if you can.
Living near a park
Nearly every neighborhood in Bellingham has a park or a trail close by, but “close by” covers a lot of ground. A house that backs onto a trail and a house a short drive from the same trail are different propositions, and the listing will describe both as near the park. Tell us which parks you would really use, and we will show you what is within walking distance of them. Our neighborhood tour is a good place to start, or you can get in touch.