Our Urban Trails: Bellingham to Fairhaven on the South Bay Trail

Washington is a paradise for back country and wilderness hikers like late U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas of Yakima County. But flat paved, close-to-home trails are increasingly part of our urban landscapes. They offer places to escape, reflection and exercise, if only for a lunch-hour walk, and require no special equipment or long drives.

Twenty-three miles south of the Canadian border, this college-town trail links downtown Bellingham with the city's Historic Fairhaven District 2.5 miles south. In addition to scenic delights along the way there are restaurants, pizza parlors, shops and a park near each end.