Bellingham Sights and Things To Do

People love living in Bellingham. It has a nice waterfront, a decent downtown area, plenty of parks and endless adventures outside of town. You can easily go snow skiing and then saltwater kayaking in the same day, all while having dinner at your house. Biking is one of the most popular activities with a ridiculous number of locations to visit in the hills around town. Below are some in-town activities:

A short but great boardwalk out on the water with views of the bay. Find amenities in the park like a beach, fishing dock, barbecue grills, picnic tables, food concessions, playground and restrooms.

This 24-mile curvy route hugs the sheer cliffs of the Chuckanut Mountains. It is the only place where the Cascade Mountains meet the sea. The road overlooks Samish Bay and offers occasional views of the San Juan Islands and Chuckanut Bay. Many popular hiking trails leave from the roadway.

Since the late 1800s, this area has been a picnic ground for outdoor activities. Now a city park, there still retains some great trails and of course the popular Whatcom Falls.

This is a natural area on the south side of Bellingham adjacent to the Western Washington University Campus. There are numerous trails through the forest where classes are often taught.

In spring, thousands of visitors come to stroll through tulip fields. Usually many activities are scheduled in the area during this time. Be sure to take Chuckanut Drive between Bellingham and the Tulip Fields.

This park covers the entire lake and trails around the lake. A wide variety of recreational opportunities here include: hiking, biking, running, paddling, swimming, horseback riding and even golfing. There is a boat launch available (on the east entrance), some multi-use ball fields, pickleball and an 205 acre 18 hole championship golf course.

This memorial statue, named Safe Return is in Zuanich Park and overlooks the fishing harbor area. The names of local fisherman who have lost their lives fishing are inscribed on its pedastal.

The Tulup fields are a bit further south in Skagit County but Chuckanut Drive connects the fields to Bellingham if you are visiting in the Spring.