Really lovely area to explore the rocky coast of Washington. Free entry, free parking, plenty of…read moreplaces to explore, hike, enjoy a picnic, play on playgrounds, you name it. A bit secluded which just adds to its allure in my book. Love the coupling of large trees and rock beach right next to each other, such a unique thing to experience.

Birch Bay is probably in the Top 3 of my favorite state parks. It's in an idyllic, bayside setting,…read morewith a huge campground and lots to do in the area. I spent many a summer weekend tent camping there with my kids, and recently returned to camp again for the long weekend over July 4th. As any local will tell you, the Birch Bay area is THE place to be to celebrate and over-the-top Independence Day. Since my tent camping with kids days I've upgraded to a small teardrop travel trailer. Luckily, the majority of sites at the BBSP campground accommodate smaller travel trailers. They even have water/electric hookup sites but these are almost impossible to procure. Still, it was fun to boondock for four nights at one of their many double/group sites - which we shared with some friends. I was thankful for having a trailer, because it rained HARD for two of the days we were there and everything was soaked. Our group site (107/108) was also located near a bog so it got especially muddy. Still, we didn't let it ruin the fun - but it was a good reminder that it's never a bad idea to bring extra awnings and canopies on these PNW camping trips. The park itself is well-managed, with rangers regularly circulating and a camp host on duty most of the day. The bathrooms are clean and serviced regularly, and there are coin-op showers to keep you clean. The beach is a short walk from the campground, and an amazing place to watch sunsets. We also rode bikes into the village - it's perfectly level and there's a bike lane most of the way. We ended up at the local brewery, which was right across from the beach and a great place to listen to some live music and enjoy the weekend. Birch Bay State Park will always be on my radar for great, not-too-far-away, family-friendly camping spots. Reserve early for best selection!

Love this park, especially for an evening stroll or picnic!…read more This unique family park is located next to Sunnyland Elementary School and is the second oldest park in Bellingham, with a rich history and named to honor the fallen heroes of Whatcom County. Beautiful trees (30 to be exact) from Sugar Maple to Orchard Apple line the exterior and provide lots of shade. There are stone memorials dedicated to local fallen soldiers and each tree is dedicated as well. On Veteran's Day people leave flags and flowers. The back of the park leads to hiking trails, street parking is plentiful and we don't usually have trouble finding a spot. This is a beautiful, relaxing park but only way it falls short is they need more than one picnic table, so brings chairs or a blanket.

I'm a fan of this simple neighborhood park…read more Memorial Park offers a very large grassy area which is perfect for physical activity or lounging. Access to the Railroad trail can be found here. Street parking does not seem to be a problem. I wasn't at all concerned for the safety of my vehicle. The park is equipped with only one picnic table, offers several benches, but no cooking grills. I-5 traffic can be rather loud and irritating when trying to carry on a conversation.

Cute little park we found! The entrance is a little down the road from where my Apple Maps told me…read more We did the path to the right and there was an open field for my pup to play fetch at. Some benches the other way as well!

We love to visit this off the beaten path unique park. Great place to view bald eagles from the…read morepark and a scenic trail in the park. We love to pick up fried chicken from Nugent's Corner Market and head to this interesting park for a picnic. It is very clean and well maintained with wooden picnic tables placed in interesting spots. Also has restroom facility and a large play area for sports and other activities. We also love the scenic drive to this area!

I love this little park! I bring my dog here fairly often because it's near our home and the park…read moreand trails are well kept. There are three trails options within the park, all are probably no more than a mile and lead to neighborhoods. However its is a nice place to enjoy a lil walk through the woods, and possibly see some wildlife. The park has a few benches along the trail and a few picnic tables as well. Its a nice place to enjoy nature without actually leaving the city.

Discovery pass needed. Easy trek down to the beach. There's public restroom and water available…read morenear the beach entrance. We tried crabbing here twice. Definitely bring a spare lure; our first attempt, we had to cut the line as it got snagged on some rocks. Saw a lot of people on the beach, enjoying a picnic or even kayaking out to crab boxes in the evening. Beautiful park overall. Make sure you're sure-footed if you're going to climb the rocks.

The beach park section of Larrabee park is gorgeous. There's ample parking, then a decent that's…read moreabout a 45 second walk to a grassy lawn and a beautiful stage built in the early 1900s. There were people performing music on the stage and park goers enjoying on the grass. Just to the left of the stage there's a path to the beach. Another 2-3 minute descent brings you to a trail going left and right. The path to the left is a short trail to a rock you can sit on and climb down to get to the water. Further that way there's another beach. The path to the right leads to a nice beach with a great view and a shade tree. There were some bugs in the washed up kelp, but nothing too bothersome imho. We had a stand up paddleboard so we used the path on the right after the stage area. I would recommend anyone bringing gear down (scuba, kayaks, paddleboards) to use this beach. Larger crafts can use the boat ramp just north of this beach, and you can drive right up to that ramp (north of the stage and parking area). It was a beautiful park and a great place to picnic, enjoy the water, and view the sunset!

Charming and easy trail, lined with wild blackberry thickets And clean bathrooms! We only went…read morepart way, because we ran out of time

I was visiting friends and we stopped here for a walk on the boardwalk and visit to a small rock…read morebeach. Nice, dusty, trail lined with blackberry bushes and the occasional sweet pea vine. A few hundred feet from where we started there is a tee where you can continue on the sidewalk or head down to the boardwalk that is about 35' over the water. The boardwalk is nice and wide with a couple of points along the way to stop and drink in the view. The day of this visit was super warm, ~90 degrees, and it was a nice treat to walk down to the beach once the boardwalk hit earth again. There were shells and rocks to pick through, and overall the beach wasn't busy at all. When I say beach I mean like 40ft X 20ft of sand and rocks before the water. There is neat rock foundation that the ocean carved into that could be cool bouldering if there were more surface area available. The address says Bellingham, but there is this place called Fairhaven that existed 200 years ago but was enveloped into Bellingham over time. So, if you're asking for direction in the new Bellingham area mention Fairhaven to reduce confusion.

This park is a great place to walk or ride a bike and explore. It is dog friendly and has a small…read morekiddie park for younger kids. Cell service is good and it's a good place for Pokemon for older kids.

This is my favorite trail in town. Because a part of the trail is uphill, it's great workout. Also,…read morethe part close to Big Rock Garden has lots of nature. It makes you feel like you are in a deep forest (although you are very close from Barkley Boulevard). Recommended route: Start at Barkley Village, walk up to Big Rock Garden, turn around, and walk back down to Barkley Village. A round trip should take about an hour if you walk at a brisk pace. From Barkley Village, take Railroad Trail (the trail behind Barkley Haggen) toward Whatcom Falls. Right after the St Clair detention basin on your left, turn left onto Klipsun Trail uphill all way to Sylvan Street. The trail continues in a woods, splitting into different trails. Follow the signs for Big Rock Garden. Warming: There are several pretty steep staircases. If you have knee or hip issues, this is probably not a great option. ***************************** If you found something useful in my review, please hit "useful" so that I can improve my future reviews. If you love food and traveling, follow me, or better yet, let's become Yelp friends! Thank you and happy Yelping! If you think your friends will find my review useful, please share it with them!

This trail takes you through a neighborhood. Most of the time you're in the trees, but you can…read morestill definitely see houses around you. If you live nearby it's a nice walk, but I felt like I was walking through someone's backyard.