We were in Bellingham, Washington this weekend for a concert, and wanted to go early to do some ... yup, you guessed it! Geocaching! So we thought we would check out Whatcom Falls Park!
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| Stefani with one of the geocaches we found |
According to the
Washington Trail Association website, there are three and a half miles of trails in the park, with loops and trails leading along cliff and ravines, through open meadows, and seemingly huge forests. The parking area is off Electric Ave, just off Lakeway Dr, in south east Bellingham, not far from the I-5. We took the Silver Beach Rd entrance, and drove straight into the parking lot near the end of the road, where there is a park, washrooms, picnic tables, and the beginning of a few trails. Continuing farther down the road would lead you to the hatchery.
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| 1939 Stone Bridge |
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| The falls |
A short easy walk down the trail from the parking lot brings you to a stone bridge; actually Chuckanut sandstone, built in 1939 as a Roosevelt Works Progress Administration project, according to
Kulshan.com. From there you can go to the right, to the upper falls and Whatcom Creek's higher level, or left, to the loops trails, and off-leash dog area.
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| Great Photo Ops! |
The trails are numerous, and many different types. Where we went, the elevations were okay, not too steep or long. The trails themselves are well-used, for the most part, and even with all the rain we've been having, our footing was stable. Actually, I don't think I slipped once, and I am a klutz! Through the trees, the trails are mostly narrow and rocky, with some close to the edge of the ravine, or just up from the edge, with some good viewpoint pull-outs. There are many photo opportunities of the falls, bridges, and creek. We didn't see a lot of wild life, but there was evidence of woodpecker or flicker activity, and a lot of berry bushes to feed on. I would say that with the off-leash dog area nearby, and a lot of dog walkers in the park, coyotes and rabbit would likely make themselves scarce. Being later in the season, squirrels and such would also be scarce.
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| 1939 Stone Bridge |
In 1999, a major fuel leak caused a massive explosion and fire in the park, killing three people, and destroying a large part of the park. Almost twenty years later, some of the park is still closed for rehabilitation. The pipeline runs right through the park, even crossing over the creek in one part. The open access are that the pipeline runs through makes up a large part of the walking and off-leash area.
This park is worth exploring more than once, and I think we'll be back for more!
PDF Map of the park
Wikipedia of Whatcom Falls Park
