5 Best Sights in Bellingham, Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys

Highway 11, also known as Chuckanut Drive, was once the only highway accessing Bellingham from the south. The drive begins in Fairhaven, reaches the flat farmlands of the Samish Valley near the village of Bow, and joins up with Interstate 5 at Burlington, in Skagit County. The full loop can be made in a couple of hours, but the many notable eateries along the route, especially around Bow—home to the Bow-Edison Food Trail—may tempt you to linger. For a dozen miles this 23-mile road winds along the cliffs above beautiful Chuckanut and Samish bays. It twists its way past the sandstone face of Chuckanut Mountain and crosses creeks with waterfalls; look for lively oyster bars here,too. Turnouts are framed by madrona trees and pines and offer views of the San Juan Islands. Bald eagles cruise along the cliffs or hang out on top of tall firs. Drive carefully: the cliffs are so steep in places that closures resulting from rock slides occasionally occur in winter.

The only public access in Bellingham to rippling, 14-mile-long Lake Whatcom is at its north end, in this park about a 10-minute drive east of downtown. Locals swim in the sheltered, if rather brisk, waters of a cove. Keep an eye out for beavers, river otters, ducks, great blue herons, and yellow pond lilies at Scudder Pond, which is another 100 feet west (reached by trail from the parking area at Northshore and Alabama).

With a long pier, a boardwalk over an old rail trestle, and a paved trail that skirts the waterfront overlooking the islands of Bellingham Bay, this leafy community park between downtown and Fairhaven is one of the loveliest spots in the area to stroll, jog, read a book, or watch the sailboats. At the center of the park is a branch of the popular local café Woods, which offers sweeping water views. Other amenities include a playground, a small beach, barbecue grills, and picnic tables.

Situated above the campus of Western Washington University, 175-acre Sehome Hill Arboretum, with its native trees, shrubs, and other plants, has good views of Bellingham Bay and Lummi Island, especially from the facility's observation tower. More than 6 miles of trails encircle the beautifully landscaped grounds.

On upper Whatcom Creek, Whatcom Falls Park (reached via Lakeway, east from I–5) features a creek with a number of pretty waterfalls; one has a popular local swimming hole, although the water is very cold. Trails lead down creek and up the creek to Scudder Pond and Bloedel Donovan Park.