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!

It's nice to walk on the boardwalk and later stop at the Boulevard Park for kids to have some fun,…read morewhile enjoying the bay breeze and some sunshine. Boardwalk and park area is very clean, with public restrooms available nearby.

We love this gorgeous, well maintained park! The pirate play area is really cute and has some…read moreunique features like a treasure tumble (you roll it to see shells) and a "plank" you can walk/jump on. Past the park and onto the boardwalk- there is plenty of unique wildlife to see- herons, seagulls, and star fish! The beach is rocky but easy to navigate and a great place to throw or collect rocks. This is truly a great walk for playing with toddlers, having a picnic or enjoying a walk.

Nice lake. Kids play area, seasonal boating via launch and rentals, and deceivingly large lake…read more Initial view near the office appears the lake is in front of you when in fact behind the office is twice as much lake area. Fishing from the shore is doable but a small water craft is advisable for best access to larger fish at deeper depth.

In May 2021 we were staying nearby and decided to follow the road to Silver Lake! WOW! Kudos to…read moreWhatcom County for providing this beautiful park! We observed people fishing from boats and from the dock. There were friendly geese. I wore out the battery in my camera taking pictures of the scenery and the flowers. Starting on Memorial day rowboats, kayaks, and paddleboats will be available for rental. Nice!

Looking for a challenging hike or lakeside 6 mile stroll? This trail head can give you both. The…read moresteep vertical up the chanterelle trail goes up to the ridge. We took the lake side trail right along the lake that is level and gravel so nice even on a rainy day like ours. It's just over 6 miles out and back but you could turn around any time. It worth the drive from Bellingham to walk the quiet section of the lake. Great views and a few water falls when there is water flow.

If you want a taste of the Pacific Northwest, hike along the Hertz Trail along Lake Whatcom. It's…read morean easy trail to hike with little paths to the water where people swim on a hot summer day. The water is refreshing and perfect for fishing, boating and swimming. When we arrived, the parking lot was full, but we easily parked along the road. There's an outhouse in the parking lot.

If you're staying at the bellwether Or just cruising the waterfront, The Commons as little places…read moreto eat some nice restaurants And a great place to wander around at the point., For mance close to the Marina so I can get off the boat and go up and have a sandwich or sushi or a great steak

Public courtyard by Hotel Bellwether. Great view of the islands, WWU and of Mount Baker. At…read moreentrance to marina. Nice place to sit and watch people, boats and nature. Several metal chairs and lots of benches. Bellingham view from downtown south to Fairhaven. Bring a jacket it coat, it can be windy and 10 to 15 degrees cooler here. Enjoy!

Awesome ferry ride over to the islands. With Beautiful views. Entering was easy and quick.read more

I only got to visit the American Camp side of this park, but it was wonderful!…read more Driving along Cattle Point Road you'll see signs to enter multiple different sites at the park. I mainly stopped at three locations: Cattle Point Interpretive Area: You can either take the steps down to the pebbly beach to feel more connected to the water, or go up the mossy mound to get a high ground view of... well, everything. I saw water, cliffs, islands, ducks, eagles, seals... unfortunately, no whales, though, prob because this is not the time of year they are around much. Cattle Point Lighthouse: Walked on a cute trail to the lighthouse, where I saw a humongous red fox on a hill, looking like it was digging or pouncing on something! On the other side of the lighthouse are views of miles of open sky and water. South Beach: On the road leading to the beach, we actually saw a black fox just chilling, lying on the road. It moved to the fenced area as we approached, and my gosh it was beautiful. I didn't even know black foxes existed! The beach itself is wide and has views of endless water, with some driftwood hanging out near you. I know there's so much more to the park that we didn't see, but I was quite happy with the wildlife and incredible scenery. Especially the foxes... I've only seen like one other (that I can remember), so seeing the ones here were such a bonus. The trails and sites that we missed are even more reason to return to San Juan Island National Historical Park. I just hope I'm able to come out to this island again someday.

I have been eyeing San Juan Cruises for at least two years and this year my oldest son wanted to…read morecelebrate his birthday exploring by boat. Booking our adventure was extremely easy via the San Juan Cruises website. I greatly appreciate how detailed the reservation information was, and most importantly how courteous the entire team was throughout our time aboard. The team went into great detail about our journey, history on each island we passed, and insights on the protected wildlife we could possibly encounter during our voyage. The vessel was extremely accommodating for all of us on board, ample seating, viewing opportunities, and two restrooms. The team makes an excellent warm lunch was provided; while snacks and beverages were available throughout the entire duration of the voyage (grab a cup of coffee Blue Herron coffee beans based out of Bow, WA makes a great cup!) We managed to encounter eagles, seals, walruses, dolphins, a gray whale, and two different orca pods. Each sighting was absolutely breathtaking and majestic! I could not ever imagine going to a theme park to view these magnificent animals. The voyage takes between 5-6 hours plan, you'll be surprised at how quickly that time goes by. Helpful tip for parents bringing children feel free to pack coloring books, board games, binoculars, and snacks for your littles the San Juan Cruise team welcomes it for the little voyagers. My parents have already had planned to book an excursion during their visit next month, and I highly recommend for anyone who lives in or visiting the area to do so as well!

My boyfriend and I booked the afternoon whale watching cruise at San Juan Cruises not knowing what…read moreto expect and it ended up being the highlight of the weekend. The crew was very friendly and I loved that it was guided by the Captain and Naturalist onboard. I learned a lot about islands in the Salish Sea and we saw several species of animals. There are several great viewing spots on the boat and it's easy to see from inside if it gets too windy. I learned so much about the Biggs orcas, sea lions, and harbor seals. It's not promised, but we saw two different groups of the orcas right at the beginning of the trip and surprisingly at the end in Bellingham bay. It was so nice to learn about them and get an up close view (within safe distance). They served a lunch onboard which was included in the cost, however we packed our own. They also have beverages and snacks for sale throughout the ride. I didn't bring binoculars on board, but I did see people with them. My iPhone was enough to get close up videos and pictures of the animals! I would definitely recommend this to family and friends!

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.