Cancel

Open app

Search

Larrabee State Park

4.1 (67 reviews)

Larrabee State Park Parks Photos

You might also consider

More like Larrabee State Park

Recommended Reviews - Larrabee State Park

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Laura S.

This was our first visit to Larrabee State Park, and recommend it. What's to like? *proximity to Bellingham, but be careful on windy Chuckanut Drive! *A variety of hiking trails rated as easy to difficult. These include beach trails as well as trails to take you to a viewpoints or a small lake (Fragrance Lake). *Unpaved gravel roads (Cleator Road) to viewpoints and trailheads. *a family-friendly campground with hook-ups and warm showers. (Our neighbors actually set up a screen for the kids to watch a movie in the back of their RV). Quiet time at 10 pm was observed, even on a weekend night in a full campground. *a boat launch onto Samish Bay. *picnic areas with picnic tables and bunnies! *rangers who get the job done. The only downside is that the park is bisected by a railroad, with frequent trains rolling through at all hours. We only heard one blowing its whistles, but the sound of the train itself was noticeable

Enrica D.

Love this park! Last time, we went to the saltwater area and admired the beautiful beach rocks, this time we hiked to fragrance lake. 2 miles of easy hike towards the lake, wide and clean trail, just a bit of an incline going up to the lake but it wasn't that bad. Good cardio:) definitely check it out if you're in the area.

The entrance to this beautiful place.
Kat W.

Where the sea meets the mountains. This is a glorious place. I am so thankful I got the opportunity to explore here on my trip to Washington. I highly recommend!

Lots of space to park are trailer and to move about.
Olivia K.

I thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Larrabee state park Camping Ground. It was relaxing and our particular camp spot was perfect for us.

Monument
Stephen W.

This park is about 15 minutes outside the Bellingham city center. When we went it was free entry and free parking. Not sure if that is always the case but it was a nice surprise. There are tables and grills if you want to do grilling outside. There are also pavilions to reserve/rent for large groups. Visitors were mainly families with kids, but there were a few single and groups of adults as well. The scenery is gorgeous, with several trails that run along the bay. The views are breathtaking. The beach is ok but not that big. We spent several hours hiking, hanging out at the beach, and just enjoying nature. The reason for 4 stars is this: we were in the middle of absolutely stunning beauty. Then, we hear a loud noise. It's getting closer and closer, louder and louder. Is it an earthquake? Is it a tsunami? Did the Russians launch a nuclear attack? No, it was a freight train, running right through the park and the forest. It was long train and shattered the peace. In principle, I am opposed to trains running through state parks and forests, so I lowered my evaluation to 4 stars.

Playground near the amphitheater
Helene L.

Great park: Considering we trek with 3 young kids (between 4-10yo). 1. Small/medium playground available 2. Trails trail trails- with option of easy ones. *Viewpoint Trail is easy with 280 views at various outlets. * going to the beach is a short 10 min trek. If you go left of the "Closed for shell fishing" sign there is a pepple rock beach with various rocks and drift wood seating. If you go right it takes to viewpoint trail. 3. Small Amphitheater with lawn space and picnic tables 4. Lots of covered picnic tables 5. Bathroom availability

Admiring the beach at Larrabee State Park
Alden C.

We came up from the south to Larrabee State Park. It was a beautiful and scenic drive! We stopped at the first major parking lot as you are in the park and got out went on a trail towards the west. We crossed some railroad tracks and went down some pretty steep parts of the trail before reaching the beach. The beach view I have to say was wonderful and we stayed here a little while taking pictures before heading back. Take your time with those steep parts of the trail especially if you don't have a lot of hiking experience and you should be just fine. There is another major parking lot to the north of the park with more trails I'm sure but I don't know the steepness to them. From the south parking lot you can go on another trail to the east that goes to a lake. Again, don't know the difficulty level with that trail but I imagine it's nothing too terribly intense. Definitely a beautiful park and worth more exploration. I'll try out the trails by the north parking lot next time.

Yes!
Kathryn Y.

I was very excited to visit the first state park in WA. Especially since this park is right on the waterfront of the Samish Bay. Off scenic route 11, aka Chuckanut Dr., and absolutely beautiful. The part of the park I entered was the main entrance and I followed the signs that directed me to the beach. A large grass area next to a small park for kids. A few picnic tables and what looked like a stage. The trail was easy to see and went under a tunnel before leading down to the beach area. That is why I was there, to put my feet in the water. I didn't do too much exploring on this visit. Just enough to know I love this park! I am not a camper but if you are this park has camping spots. Walk in spots and hook up sites. The opposite side of the highway offers a trail to Lost Lake, which I did not go to. Next time for sure. Larrabee became a state park in 1915 in honor of Charles Xaver Larrabee. Yes, I got that information off the brochure as I explore new places I love doing my research. Bring a picnic and enjoy this park which is located on the beautiful scenic drive highway 11. A discovery pass is required. Happy adventuring and Yelping.

Lori H.

Great find along the scenic Chuckanut Drive. This is the first state park in Washington State, established in 1915. You will need to pay a day use fee of $10, or buy the Discovery Pass for $30, which is good for one year. We opted for the latter. There's a playground and restrooms available right off the parking lot. There are fun trails to walk along the beach, large rocks overlooking the bay and beach, and nature trails full of mossy trees. A really beautiful place!

Dog-friendly
Tara H.

When we were driving back south from Bellingham, we decided to take the scenic Chuckanut Drive. As you're driving along the road, you will eventually come across Larrabee State Park. I would recommend stopping here if you have time. You will need a Discovery Pass to park here or you can buy a day parking at the entrance into the state park. Upon arrival, there were plenty of parking spaces. We did not look up any trails and just decided to take a route that seemed to lead us towards the water. The route did not take very long and was not much of a hike. Most people would be able to walk the trail with regular tennis shoes. When we got to the water, it was beautiful and there was a lot of space to hang out without being too close to people. We were able to bring our dog with us and there were some other dogs near the water too. Overall, I'm glad we stopped here and would recommend check out Larrabee State Park.

Sign
Beverly W.

Ohhhhh, if only we had more time to explore it more!!! Just loved the massiveness of the trees and peaceful quiet. Kinda scary if you're not with others but every now n then ppl would pass by so it was safe. It was like out of a Jurassic movie forest. Wish tho that there were better signs to lead.

Colleen B.

We were on the Chuckanut Drive and stopped in the park to see the beach. The ranger was very friendly and gave us great directions to Beach. We were there on a week day and had no trouble finding parking. There are also picnic areas, camp sites, and a cool amphitheater. The water was a bit chilly for august but better than the Atlantic would be so hey! Nice stop on a nice day!

Viewpoint Trail
Veronica B.

Very beautiful state park. Viewpoint Trail is a short walk to the coast where you'll see several boulders near the shore. Breathtaking view.

See all

16 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Sue B.
39
41
6

8 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of L. W.
0
12
14

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

20 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Teresa H.
71
97
46

10 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Robb G.
12
27
0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Amy F.
0
31
0

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Mari H.
85
47
30

10 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Keith C.
257
23
6

13 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Emily C.
204
157
1

10 years ago

Love it. I have been here 3x. Will be back more. I climb to the top and have picnic by the lake. This is life.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 2 of 2

Ask the Community - Larrabee State Park

Review Highlights - Larrabee State Park

You will need a Discovery Pass to park here or you can buy a day parking at the entrance into the state park.

Mentioned in 4 reviews

Read more highlights

Verify this business for free

People searched for Parks 433 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Bloedel Donovan Park - Paddle Boat

Bloedel Donovan Park

4.5(8 reviews)
8.1 mi

Our trip to Washington took a weird turn when our plans changed overnight. We pretty much were…read moreleft to do what ever we wanted rather than scheduled things with extended family. So we went to the lake. This lake was located right around the corner from our Airbnb. Its very easy to find and if you get here early enough there is lots of parking. We just brought our towels and swim suits and picked a spot on the grass near the sand. It was a very sunny day out in Washington. The kids headed right out and walked out to the floating decks. They were able to jump off and swim around. They had so much fun. We were here all day. They have a small snack shack with limited options. We got ice cream at some point. Then suddenly the kids and my husband decided that they wanted to take a paddle boat out into the lake. I had no interest. They had a good time. I personally thought it was too windy and at some point my husband had jump out and swim push the boat back to the shore. He made sure to let the people working that they should warn people that the wind may make it very hard to paddle back to shore. All in all it was a fantastic afternoon. The kids wanted to come back again but our trip was cut short and the time we did have didn't account for a second visit. Not sure we will ever be back again but we would if we could.

A nice park with summing available in the summer months. Playground for kids is fun, though we did…read moresee a child fall off of the slippery climbing structure, so keep a close eye on that side. The park is large with much space to run and play, explore and enjoy. Buildings (pavilions, basketball court/gym) are available on the grounds for private rental, and plenty of parking can be found on the property. (On hot summer weekends, parking does fill up quickly.)

Photos
Bloedel Donovan Park
Bloedel Donovan Park - Boat rental shack

Boat rental shack

Bloedel Donovan Park

See all

Cornwall Park - Main drive in, looking in the direction of the entrance.

Cornwall Park

4.1(11 reviews)
8.6 mi

Pulling into a parking spot in one of the parking areas in Cornwall Park in Bellingham this…read moremorning, Wednesday 20 September 2023, I noticed a gray squirrel burying something. Trying to get my camera out in time while still in my car, I got one blurry picture before it scurried off. Grabbing my bag and getting out of my car, I noticed something new to me, a black squirrel. It was on the ground foraging. I took a few pictures and a video and then said hello out loud. It came to attention and started making its way towards me. Eventually, it came to sit on a curb by my car and looked at me, letting me take an up-close picture. After the click it continued on. Exploring the park on foot, I found walkers, runners, foraging gray squirrels, and foraging black squirrels. Walking paths through the trees were gravel and relatively flat near the parking area. Gray squirrels towards the entrance of the park were shelling felled chestnuts and carrying them away. A black squirrel or two ran past with a peanut, not sure from where. Sunlight broke through the canopy of the trees, lighting up the leaves and spots of ground.

I love all the little hidden parks in Bellingham, but Cornwall takes the cake. You don't realize…read morehow expansive this park is until you're in it. There are several different entrances into the park from all surrounding streets. The trails connect all the entrances, but the roads do not connect though. Cornwall park has pickleball courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, frisbee golf, a wading fountain, fields to play in, trails to run on AND MORE! Every time I walk my dogs here, I find new trails and features I haven't seen before. It is well maintained and has a ton of parking within the park so you don't have to walk far. I would recommend pulling up a map if you are looking to get to a specific part of the park for the first time!

Photos
Cornwall Park - Park entrance, morning of Wednesday 20 September 2023.

Park entrance, morning of Wednesday 20 September 2023.

Cornwall Park - Gravel walkway and parking area.

Gravel walkway and parking area.

Cornwall Park - Friendly black squirrel looking at me, Wednesday 20 September 2023.

See all

Friendly black squirrel looking at me, Wednesday 20 September 2023.

Larrabee State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...