Beautiful park, trails, and scenery !…read more Kid, stroller, and dog friendly Being wet gear because there's multiple areas where you can get in the water . Definitely going back

Beautiful park with waterfalls and accessible trails to enjoy alone or with family and friends. I…read moreloved walking beneath the trees and along the water. It feels like a safe area with lots of people enjoying the outdoors in the summertime.

Very beautiful views, calm spot when no one is around. Can get crowded during nicer times of the…read moreyear. No bathroom almost pooped myself but overall a lovely experience.

The perfect spot for beautiful views of the bay and relaxation. The trail to/from the water is…read morenarrow and steep at times. There are some steps along the path, which makes the hike a little bit easier. This is an ideal spot to lay under the stars and snuggle up with someone. There's some light pollution from the city, but it doesn't take much from the starry night experience. This is rumored to be a nude beach area. I believe that it may have been at some point, but isn't considered to be one now. There are two beach areas. No bathrooms. As usual, parking at the trailhead is a risk. You may return to your car to find a shattered window. Don't leave anything visible.

I like it. If you didn't know Arroyo means stream so the park is aptly named…read more This is indeed a little bit of a secret garden once you descend from the parking off Old Samish the city disappears and you enter the land of the fey... oh wait... shit people don't pick up their dog poop here either!!! Sonofa... seriously people #scoopyourdarnpoop. Other than the poop, it is a neat place with all sorts of options for trails. You can connect to the Lost Lake trail and to the Chuckanut Falls trail from here. My fav: you can park here and take an easy walk about 1.5 miles down the interurban trail to get to Teddy Bear Cove. Just be careful when you have to cross the street at Chuckanut Drive.

Arroyo Park has been one of my favorite spots in Bellingham since I lived here 15 years ago…read more The salmon are just starting to return for their upstream run. (11/11/2018). Last year was very light so, hopefully there will be more this year. Two years ago, there were hundreds running upstream to spawn. When the water, "boils" with their efforts to climb upstream and place their eggs in the same location they were born, it is a marvel of nature we are incredibly blessed to witness. Please keep pets and kids from scaring the salmon as they are expending every ounce of their remaining life energy to reach their soaring location. But, certainly visit and look closely to find the well camouflaged salmon. Many are well over 2-3' in length. You can often see them molting and splashing as they spend their last moments working hard to continue the salmon life cycle.

This is a great starting point for a lot of destinations. For my initial trip, I covered Chuckanut…read moreFalls and Hemlock Trails. Pleasant but nothing too wildly exciting. This wouldn't be the place I'd first recommend to out of towners. As usual, take rest breaks as needed and pace yourself. It's not a real tough trail but may be a challenge if you're just getting into exercising/walking a great distance. There's a nice parking area with a fair amount of space. I could see that this may get packed on a nice day. There's one portable toilet at the parking area. I didn't see a sign requiring Discovery Pass but went ahead and put it out anyhow. I've noticed that some areas I had assumed that I didn't need it had in fact required.

One of my favorite hikes in the Bellingham area! Beginner level! Would be good with kids. Stunning!!read more

The scarecrow exhibits. The gardens and river creek. Can't remember much I do remember watching a…read moregame of catch.

We found this place by accident while on a different nature walk. It's gorgeous! The playground was…read morebeautiful, the grassy fields are perfectly maintained and the "watch tower" was such a great surprise! 100% will recommend this place to everyone I know! Pack a lunch and go enjoy some beautiful scenery!

Great hike. I made it a loop and ended up at Falls Drive and walked along the main road back to the…read moretrailhead. I went alone and didn't encounter a single person in the 4-5 hours it took for me to do the loop. Not all maps show the trail that leads off so you can make the loop. You go to the south from an off shoot in between cedar and Pine lake. The trails at this point are very overgrown. There is more opportunities to go on trails but I stuck on the service roads for the most part. Lots of good lookout points over Lake Samish. The original hike to get to Pine and Cedar lake is very steep. Once you get past that point it is more rolling hills or flat. I highly recommend turning left and heading toward the overlook NW of Cedar lake. Great views of the San Juan's and on the other side you can see Baker. For the Lakes there is camping opportunities available (primitive). Also there are no toilets available. Swimming in the lakes might be possible but they look as if the water is stagnant and there is much muck. I'm only knocking it down because of the hill. The overgrown section isn't part of this trail but is a fun way to go if you want more mileage and to make a loop of it. Just be aware you will be walking back along the road and there is little to no shoulder at times so walk towards the oncoming traffic to step out of the way when they approach.

This is like one of the toughest trails that I've encountered due to the initial 1-2 mile uphill…read morehike. I generally consider myself to be in fair physical condition but, after this hike, I'm reconsidering that opinion. Supposedly, the lakes at the top make this hike worth the intense workout. I'm not generally one to back down from a hike, but I did this time. I got past the initial uphill hike with pacing and frequent rest breaks. Once past there, something didn't feel right about the atmosphere and I decided to head back. It may have the hour of the day or the feeling of isolation. Either way, I'd recommend bringing a hiking buddy. I'll save the remainder of this hike for an early morning. The lakes at the top have 4 camping sites. One of the few lakes around to allow it. Discovery Pass is required here. It's usually well posted when required but I hadn't noticed at arrival. A portable toilet is available in the parking lot area. No designated rest stops along the trail. Check this hike out for a good workout and peace in the woods. Don't forget your water bottle!

Gorgeous. What a gem. Highly recommend…read more Almost missed it driving through because everything was so pretty and I was admittedly distracted.

No dogs allowed which is a bummer as most other parks allow, if only on leash…read more For sure there is some logic behind the decision. Hope it's not the same one that CA State Parks uses on a beach where dogs are not allowed as they can disrupt the sensitive habitat of birds but at the same time allows vehicles on the beach...

A couple of easy and relaxing hikes through a picturesque forest. One loop is 2.4 mi the other is…read more~3. You can also easily combine both loops for a longer journey. Guaranteed to see some slugs, ducks, redwoods and tons of ferns. Parking is pretty easy at the trailhead (though only a dozen or spots, maybe tougher on weekends).

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.