Whatcom Falls Park – the easy hike for ‘non hikers’

If you want to experience the beauty of a hike, but don’t / can’t put the effort in, then the Whatcom Falls Park is the destination for you.  No boots required!

Whatcom Falls Park – the easy hike

If you haven’t got a lot of time, or for whatever reason don’t have the ability/fitness to truly hike, then Whatcom Falls is the ‘hike’ for you.  You’ll end up with stunning photos, that will have everyone believing you delved deep into the wilderness, but it’s quite possible you didn’t!   

Whatcom Falls Park sits in Bellingham, Washington.  Depending on traffic (!) it’s about an hour and a half drive from downtown Seattle, so an easy day trip.  Easy pretty much sums up Whatcom Falls Park, and you’ll see why.

The stone bridge

The beautiful stone bridge is just 100 yards from the carpark, so this vista is easily accessible by wheelchair or with a stroller.  The bridge has so much character – it was built from sandstone in 1939 as a project of the Roosevelt-sponsored Words Progress Administration.  It is a beautiful spot to view the waterfall from, but it becomes even more beautiful if you’re able to walk around to the top of the waterfall (in some flows) and view the bridge itself from there.

Stunning huh?!  If all you get to see is this you’ll be happy I’m sure.

Here’s the view of the waterfall that you get from the bridge.

So you could go to the park, walk 100 yards and be surrounded by all this beauty, take stunning photos, and truly impress your friends!!   With no effort!!

But you have got a few trail options if you are up to a little walking. 

The trails

Once you cross the bridge there are 3 1/2 miles of well maintained trails, through beautiful woods, that would have you believing you’re much further than you are from the carpark.  It truly felt like we were cheating, being able to see all of this beauty, with little effort.  The park has 3 other waterfalls, a swimming hole, and a small pond to fish from.  If you want to read all the official info on the trails, check out the WTA site.

As we wandered past the pond, we witnessed a young boy excitedly reeling in his first catch.  Just as it got near to him, an Osprey swooped down and stole it from his line.  While the boy was obviously upset, it was amazing to watch – so beware of nature getting its own back!

Abandoned railroad tracks

There is so much to see as you wander these trails – another favourite of mine was the abandoned railroad tracks.  

This is a beautiful park, and while you won’t work up a sweat walking around it, you will be rewarded with nature at its finest.   This is a great way to experience what a hike might be, and to warm up those muscles before you stretch yourself into something more challenging.

As much as I’ve shared my story here, it’s also important for me to preserve my story a little more permanently.  I’ve used a form of digital scrapbooking to do this, so check out the rest of the story and photos HERE.

The story you may not see / know

The beauty of the Park belies a dark history.  In 1999, a gasoline pipeline operated by Olympic Pipeline Company exploded.  Amongst the severe damage it caused, it sadly also claimed 3 lives.  Wikipedia has the full story, if you want to know more.