Lake Padden Park
Managed by City of Bellingham
691 acres9.2 mi of trail
Padden Loop TrailUpper Backcountry LoopUpper Padden Access TrailPadden Gorge Trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Bellingham
Bellingham has 78 miles of mapped trails, 2.8 for every square mile of land
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 10% of Bellingham’s land is conserved, about 1,759 acres. The biggest trail networks: Lake Padden Park (9.2 mi), Sehome Hill Arboretum (6.4 mi), Fairhaven Park (5.7 mi).
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #18 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
1,759 acres · of 28.2 sq mi of land
Trails
78 mi
2.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,655 ac
28 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
115 mi
56 mi lanes · 27 mi paths
Highest peak
630 ft
Sehome Hill
Lakes & rivers
5
13 beaches · 14 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Bellingham?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bellingham have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bellingham is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #18 of 285 in Washington. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bellingham’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical WA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails2.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (78 mi) · WA 0.8 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land28 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,655 acres) · WA 11 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · WA 92% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 96%
LessMore
Washington towns of 2,500+ (285)Ahead of 94%
Water is 8% of Bellingham’s area (2 of 31 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 9%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Lake Padden Park, with 9.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sehome Hill Arboretum
Managed by City of Bellingham
180 acres6.4 mi of trail
Douglas Fir TrailRidge TrailJersey Street TrailTunnel Ridge Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Fairhaven Park
Managed by City of Bellingham
136 acres5.7 mi of trail
Main TrailMain LoopRidge TrailBerry's Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Whatcom Falls Park
Managed by City of Bellingham
247 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Interurban Greenway & Trail
Managed by City of Bellingham
102 acres2.1 mi of trail
Hoag's Pond TrailLarrabeeClarita Moore TrailSwamp Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Northridge Park
Managed by City of Bellingham
36 acres1.8 mi of trail
Northridge Park TrailNorthridge Social Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Chuckanut Mountain Park
Managed by Whatcom County
110 acres1.6 mi of trail
Lost Lake TrailHemlock TrailLost Lake Trail North
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Lookout Mountain Open Space
Managed by Whatcom County
40 acres1.4 mi of trail
SST - LowerAnte UpThe RidgeUp 2 Something
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 76 parks & preserves
Lake Padden Park691 acres · 9.2 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsSehome Hill Arboretum180 acres · 6.4 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsFairhaven Park136 acres · 5.7 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsWhatcom Falls Park247 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsInterurban Greenway & Trail102 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsNorthridge Park36 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
Chuckanut Mountain Park110 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Whatcom County
Lookout Mountain Open Space40 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Whatcom County
Squalicum Creek Park37 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCornwall Memorial Park71 acres · 1 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsConnelly Creek Nature Area29 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsSalmon Woods Open Space45 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsCordata Park24 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsPost Point Dog Park15 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsBay to Baker Greenway7 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsArroyo Nature Reserve80 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsPadden Gorge30 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsChuckanut Creek Marsh25 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsSamish Crest Open Space18 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
Woodstock Farm12 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsGalbraith Open Space11 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsMaritime Heritage Park11 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsLowell Park Open Space5 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
Whatcom Creek Greenway40 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsElizabeth Park4 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsBig Rock Garden2 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsRailroad Trail26 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsHappy Valley Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
Barkley Trail5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsBloedel Donovan Park19 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsBoulevard Park15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPacific View Open Space2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
Chuckanut Village Marsh27 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsMemorial Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBroadway Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Bakerview Open Spaces5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
Little Squalicum Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBirchwood Neighborhood Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsHarriet Spanel Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
DirectionsLower Padden Trail1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Bellingham
Sunnyland Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsChuckanut Bay Shorelands52 acres · City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department
Sunset Pond21 acres · City of Bellingham
DirectionsJulianna Park21 acres · City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsVanWyck Park21 acres · City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation
South Bay Trail14 acres · City of Bellingham
DirectionsBig Rock Park10 acres · City of Bellingham
DirectionsKing Mountain6 acres · City of Bellingham
Roosevelt Park6 acres
DirectionsStorybrook Park6 acres · City of Bellingham
DirectionsPadden Lagoon6 acres · City of Bellingham
DirectionsZuanich Park5 acres · Port of Bellingham
DirectionsBattersby Field4 acres
DirectionsSaint Clair Neighborhood Park3 acres · City of Bellingham
DirectionsMarine Park3 acres
DirectionsLaurelwood Trail3 acres · City of Bellingham
Laurel Park2 acres
DirectionsForest and Cedar Park2 acres
DirectionsWaypoint Park2 acres · City of Bellingham
DirectionsLakeway Community Garden2 acres · City of Bellingham
Highland Heights2 acres · City of Bellingham
Teddy Bear Cove Park1 acres · Whatcom County Parks & Recreation
Samish Glen Open Space1 acres · City of Bellingham
Lincoln Creek Open Space1 acres
DirectionsRock Hill Park1 acres · City of Bellingham
DirectionsFouts Park1 acres · City of Bellingham
DirectionsRidgemont Neighborhood Park1 acres · City of Bellingham
Roeder Home1 acres · Whatcom County
Lee Memorial Park1 acres · City of Bellingham
DirectionsShuksan Meadows Neighborhood Park1 acres · City of Bellingham
DirectionsNorthern Lights Park1 acres · City of Bellingham
DirectionsPanorama Heights Open Space1 acres · City of Bellingham
Carl Lobe Park1 acres
DirectionsLorraine Ellis Park1 acres
Laurel Street Trail1 acres · City of Bellingham
DirectionsOld Fairhaven Parkway1 acres · City of Bellingham
Who protects it
1,759 conserved acres
10% of Bellingham’s land. Water is left out: Bellingham has 28.2 square miles of land and 2.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Bellingham’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,627 ac
County110 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits87 ac
Private owners3 ac
Local Park · 1,469 acLocal Conservation Area · 189 acUnknown Easement · 87 acLocal Other or Unknown · 77 acPrivate Conservation · 3 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 89 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 10 of 105 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Padden Park Local Park | Town or city | 181 | Open |
| Saint Clair Park Local Park | Town or city | 173 | Open |
| Sehome Hill Park Local Park | Town or city | 135 | Open |
| Arroya Park Reserve Local Park | County | 100 | Open |
| West Lake Padden Park Local Park | County | 88 | Open |
| Loth17 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 77 | Open |
| Chuckanut Bay Tidelands Local Park | Town or city | 74 | Open |
| Civic Athletic Complex Local Park | Town or city | 72 | Open |
| Bayview Cemetery Local Park | Town or city | 66 | Open |
| Cornwall Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 65 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
129 places to go in Bellingham
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Bellingham
Cornwall Beach
DirectionsPlus 12 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Bellingham
Fairhaven Park PlaygroundIn Fairhaven Park
DirectionsFairhaven Park Water Play AreaIn Fairhaven Park
DirectionsLake Padden PlaygroundIn Lake Padden Park
DirectionsLowell Elementary Playground
DirectionsScramble Nature Play ParkHours: Mon–Sun 6 am – 10 pm
DirectionsSilver Beach Elementary Playground
Directions70 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Bellingham
Lake Padden Dog ParkIn Lake Padden Park
DirectionsPaws for a Beer
DirectionsPlus 3 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Bellingham
Boat launch for Lake PaddenIn Lake Padden Park
DirectionsKayak launch
DirectionsKayak launchIn Chuckanut Village Marsh
DirectionsPlus 11 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Bellingham
Chuckanut Falls
DirectionsWhirlpool FallsIn Whatcom Falls Park
DirectionsPlus 2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Bellingham
Clark's Point
DirectionsInspiration Point
DirectionsSehome Observation TowerIn Sehome Hill Arboretum
DirectionsPlus 11 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Bellingham
Sehome Hill630 ft elevation · In Sehome Hill Arboretum
DirectionsKing Mountain551 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Bellingham
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Bellingham
Bellis Fairways Disc Golf Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Bellingham
WeGrow GardenIn Whatcom Creek Greenway
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 26.2 miHorses · 3.6 miUnpaved · 47.5 mi
Padden Loop Trail2.6 mi
Northridge Park Trail2.0 mi
Ridge Trail1.6 mi
Connelly Creek Trail1.1 mi
Aeration Stabilization Basin Trail0.9 mi
Upper Backcountry Loop0.9 mi
Bay-to-Baker Trail0.8 mi
Douglas Fir Trail0.8 mi
Samish Crest Trail0.7 mi
Main Trail0.7 mi
15 more trails
Main Loop
0.6 miPost Point Trail
0.6 miPadden Gorge Trail
0.5 miLarrabee
0.5 miLost Lake Trail North
0.5 miHoag's Pond Trail
0.4 miQueen Mountain Greenway
0.4 miKopperdahl Trail
0.4 miBack Door
0.4 miClarita Moore Trail
0.4 miTunnel Ridge Trail
0.3 miLost Lake Trail
0.3 miSST - Lower
0.3 miBoot Dryer
0.3 mi23rd Street Trail
0.3 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
115 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
56 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
27 mi
off-road bike paths
33 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
97 (Washington)Bike route
0.3 miCourts & fields
44Tennis
21Basketball
21Pickleball
17Tracks
13Baseball
8Soccer
6Lacrosse
5Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →45 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 13 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Whatcom Museum of History and ArtBuilding · listed 1970
About itPickett HouseBuilding · listed 1971
About itGamwell HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itGeorge H. Bacon HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itGreat Northern Passenger StationBuilding · listed 1975
About itLarrabee HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itYoung Women's Christian AssociationBuilding · listed 1977
About itFairhaven Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1977
About itOld Main, Western Washington State CollegeBuilding · listed 1977
About itRobert I. Morse HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itVictor A. Roeder HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itLottie Roth BlockBuilding · listed 1978
About it33 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bellingham: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.7 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.2 | 16.1 | 15.8 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 8.3 |
| High (°F) | 46 | 49 | 53 | 58 | 65 | 69 | 73 | 74 | 68 | 59 | 51 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 5.0 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 4.1 | 5.7 | 4.7 |
July is the driest month (1.1 in) and August the warmest (highs of 74 °F). 5.7 inches fall in November, the wettest month. The climate in Bellingham →
Next door
Bellingham and its neighbors
Bellingham has the most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham | 10% | 2.8 | 28 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Marietta-Alderwood | 18% | 0.7 | 25 | 83% | A |
| Geneva | 3% | 1.5 | 12 | 76% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bellingham
Where can I hike in Bellingham?
The longest trail networks: Lake Padden Park, 9.2 miles; Sehome Hill Arboretum, 6.4 miles; Fairhaven Park, 5.7 miles; Whatcom Falls Park, 2.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bellingham is conserved land?
10% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Washington town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Bellingham’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Lake Padden Park and Whatcom Falls Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bellingham?
115 miles of bike routes are on the map: 56 of painted or protected lanes, 27 of off-road paths and 33 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: 97 (Washington).
Is there public land near Bellingham?
40,187 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bellingham or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,773 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Bellingham have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #18 of 285 in Washington. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Bellingham neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →