Check our travel advisory page for updates on SR 11 (Chuckanut Drive) road closure.

Trail Running

The Chuckanuts offer some of Bellingham’s best trail running just ten minutes south of downtown. This location is the Pacific Northwest's mini version of Big Sur and the only place where the Cascade mountain range meets the sea. 

A great place to start your run is Larrabee State Park. Ascend 1,000 feet to and around Fragrance Lake or stop earlier at a lookout to soak in views of beautiful Chuckanut Bay. 

For more mileage, continue up the road to the Ridge Trail and enjoy the stunning sights of Mt. Baker.

Looking to climb even higher? Take a short drive east along the Mt. Baker Highway [SR 542] to try any one of the incredible hikes in the Mt. Baker Wilderness

Climb up almost 4,000 feet from the valley to the top of knife-edged Church Mountain or ascend slightly less than 1,500 feet to a breathtaking glacier on the well-maintained Heliotrope Ridge Trail. 

Anyone wanting calmer (but still ferny) trails has a couple options closer in the city of Bellingham: 

  • Stimpson Nature Reserve along Lake Louise Road between Bellingham and Sudden Valley, includes four beautiful hilly miles of multi-use trails with a couple of loop options.
  • Whatcom Falls Park also offers four miles of multi-use trails. This unique location also features a 1939 stone bridge connecting the trails across the park's signature water fall.
Take a Hike
        We acknowledge that Whatcom County is located on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples. They cared for the lands that included what we’d call the Puget Sound region, Vancouver Island and British Columbia since time immemorial. This gives us the great obligation and opportunity to learn how to care for our surrounding areas and all the natural and human resources we require to live. We express our deepest respect and gratitude for our indigenous neighbors, the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe, for their enduring care and protection of our shared lands and waterways.
Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism
Visitor Center Located at I-5 Exit 253 - Check Hours
904 Potter Street, Bellingham, WA 98229
Phone: 360-671-3990
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