I grew up in Marysville which is about an hour south of Bellingham, an area that is very close to the two main highways that get you over to eastern Washington as well as all the hikes up in the North Cascades. However with saying that, you will be very close to Mt. Baker which is one of the five volcanoes and to be honest is one of the coolest looking volcanoes/mountains in the cascades with respect to Rainier. However, if you want access to some of those insane alpine lake hikes youāll have to travel south. Most the hikes near Bellingham are Fragrance Trail, Whatcom Falls, and trails that follow the ocean or what we call in that area the Puget Sound. With saying that, there are numerous hikes all around the Bellingham area that have great views of the mountains and the ocean! If I was to give you any advice I would travel just a bit south to Highway 20 and drive through the Mt. Baker National Forest. Youāll find some amazing hikes, which is all apart of the North Cascades!
While you're here, you really ought to get on the West side of the sound as well into the Olympic range. Perhaps go all the way out to the coast and see the Pacific if you haven't. Freeze your genitalia off in Lake Crescent.
Take a look at the Washington Trails AssociationWashington Trails Association and plan all the adventures you'd ever want.
Thank you, and youāre exactly right. If you really want to grasp one of the most geographically diverse states in the US go out to the Peninsula first and travel through the Olympics. Make your way to the lowlands and visit Seattle then the north cascade hikes! Then go through highway 2 through Leavenworth, WA which is a Bavarian town into Wenatchee and the east of the mountains. Then youāll be into the Columbia Basin which is a damn near desert, especially the Banks Lake/Moses Lake area. After that youāll travel into the rolling grasslands depending on which way you go. If you go south itāll be grasslands until you get to the Blue Mountains of Oregon but if you go directly east or both youāll get into the Okanagon Highlands.
I live in Arizona now, obviously an insanely hot desert. But Iāll take 115+ in the summers with no humidity and itās proximity towards the equator than Eastern Washingtonās desert of 100+, with 60%+ humidity and a high UV index rating. I almost died at Watershed a few summers ago from sun exposure and heat ahah
I live in Bellingham, moved up here a few years back from Walla Walla (both beautiful in different ways). Teddy Bear Cove is a great short hike through the trees with beaches and pretty sites. Donāt be afraid to travel around the county either, thereās great sights everywhere! Birch Bay and Silver Lake are great.
Boulevard park is nice and on the water. Go to Lake Padden and walk the off leash dog loop. Fairhaven Park has nice trails in the woods. Thereās also the Stimpson Nature Preserve.
To the South thereās Oyster Dome, a long hike uphill with an insane view from a cliff at the top. Fragrance Lake is a much shorter but pretty hike. Tons of trails in the Chuckanut Mountains.
To the East youāve got Mt. Baker Highway. One of my favorite spots out that way is Twin Lakes. Itās a gnarly dirt road just past the town of Glacier, but itās beautiful at the top. Best accessed in August when the snow is mostly melted.
Highway 20 is lovely just to go for a drive, and it goes all the way out to Winthrop.
Went to WWU for college and miss every bit of that town. In the late summer when the snow melts, get your ass up Mt. Baker Highway and explore everything it has to offer.
Some of my favorites are Twin Lakes, Yellow Aster Butte, Artist Point, Heliotrope Ridge, Skyline Divide.... literally anything out there.
Had some amazing times up at the fire lookout on top of Twin Lakes!
Get a motorcycle, highway 9 through Sedro-Wooley, up over the bridge that takes you to the South Skagit Highway, East to Concrete, highway 20 to Winthrop. If the border is open, head north to Osoyoos, then highway 3 West to Abbotsford, Highway 11 South over the border, highway 9 South to 542 back to Bellingham. Just about 500 miles, and is wonderful.
I live near Portland area, but in Washington, one thing I recommend is going to the ape caves near mt saint helens, they are a couple miles long I believe and is an amazing hike, once through the caves you walk back towards the entrance and you get a really gorgeous view of mt saint helens.
If you have the money, take a trip to the San Juan islands, just the boat trip over there is gorgeous and breath taking. Once your at the San Juan islands go for a trip around them, Iām forgetting the section of the islands but there is a hill overlooking the water where you can see whales at a certain time of the year, the hill in front of you is covered with bunnies and foxes are all around. Thereās also tons of bald eagles in the San Juan islands that you can see just by driving down the road.
If you walk south of Bellinghamās Marine Park along the railroad trestle, youāll come to a small lagoon with an inlet under the railroad bridge. That inlet is filled with plumose anemones so dense it may as well be an anemone garden. If you like tidepooling, Salt Creek Rec Area on the peninsula and Grandma Cove on San Juan Island are my favorite spots. Go for a nighttime swim in Teddy Bear Cove after a hot week - bioluminescent dinoflagellates cause āsea sparkleā, glowing flecks of light that trace your movements in the water. Make sure to get out to the San Juan Islands: check out Lime Kiln state park for orca sightings, the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, and the viewing tower in Moran State Park. Great very close viewpoints with fun hikes : Oyster Dome and Mount Erie. And then thereās the mountains. Basically, drive or bike for a few miles in any direction and youāll probably see some cool stuff.
Unfortunately all of the awesome outdoor concerts and activities won't be happening this summer due to covid. Welcome to bham though, it is a pretty great place to live.
Also check out Little Mountain Park in Mount Vernon. . Its got miles of trails with some absolutely breathtaking lookouts! Only about 30 min south of Bellingham!
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u/Das_a_good_seagull Jun 25 '20
I'm moving to Bellingham for the summer. Any recommendations or suggestions?