Across the street from Larrabee State Park on Chuckanut just south of Bellingham is the parking lot for this hike. This time I only went to the viewpoint which is 1.1 mi each way… short 1 hour hike (45 or so minutes spent going up, Mt. Young on steroids). Incredible view. Another .9 mi each way gets you to Fragrance Lake, a small lake in a beautiful, peaceful setting.
The full Fragrance Lake trip was the first hike I went on, because in an online hiking guide it said “easy” for level of difficulty. Holy crap, what is “difficult”, your head explodes halfway up? I’ll be honest, I was the fattest one I saw on that trail, but I see by the comments online many others concurred. Anyhow it is a strenuous climb to the viewpoint at .9 mi but easier after that. Worth it both times; I’ll go again to get some pics of Fragrance Lake.
Quick facts stolen from the web:
Fragrance Lake Trail
Larrabee State Park on Chuckanut south of Bellingham
Length: 4 total miles
Elevation Gain: 900 feet
Trail Type: Out-and-back
Skill Level: Moderate for children
Duration: Day hike
Season: Year round
Trailhead Elev: 130 feet
Top Elevation: 1,030 feet
This beautiful 2-mile trail through low-elevation old-growth cedars and firs leads upward to a serene woodland lake. The trail, recommended for older children, has a view of boats in Wildcat Cove. Downed nurse logs supporting young hemlocks are common, but children will laugh at the sight of a nurse rock at about 1 mile, with tree roots wrapping the oblong rock like cord around a package. Fragrance Lake is crescent-shaped, has trout and skipping water bugs, and can be circled on a…
Read more at Trails.com
This is a little bit of a drive to go for a walk from my place in Northeastern Bellingham, but worth it. It has many many waterfalls, isn’t too challenging, and each .5 mile is marked. Absolutely beautiful. Ferns grow out of live, upright tree trunks, there’s a water fall every couple hundred feet and Lake Whatcom seems so big it feels like you’re at a Puget Sound beach. Lush and humid, I imagine on a hot summer day this would be refreshing. Will definitely check it out after a heavy snow for cross country skiing, if I trade in my Dakota for something that can actually drive in the snow.
Annabel gave it two paws up.
General Facts…
Highlights: Lake views, family friendly, wildflowers and lots of waterfalls
Distance: 6.2 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 100 ft
Hike Time: 2.5 hours (walk/jog 1.5 hours)
Difficulty: Easy
Trail Condition: Well maintained trail
HikeType: Out and Back
Lots of large Douglas fir trees, cedar, maple and Madrone trees. The trail ends in 3 miles at a fenced private property. This is a good hike for birding. Lake Whatcom basin was carved by a glacier over a mile thick. It is filled by rain, mountain streams and water diverted from the middle fork of the Nooksack river which comes from the Deming glacier on Mt. Baker. This lake supplies water for over 60,000 people in the Bellingham area. Trailhead: From Bellingham, drive around the lake on North Shore Drive to Agate Bay. Stay to the right and then go left in 2.5 miles to the trailhead. It is just past a bridge over Smith Creek. Take the path on the right down to the trail. (Lat:48.72757 Lon:-122.30776)
What’s this all about?
Well since I quit smoking New Year’s Day I was in need of something contructive to do with my healthier self. I have wanted to hike, and turns out this a great area to do it. I’m floored at how many incredible trails there are around the Bellingham area, and after going on this hike as well as two others I realized there needed to be pictures taken and posted. So I’m setting out to do these 3 hikes over again, this time with a camera. Besides North Lake Whatcom Park I’ll soon do Teddy Bear Cove near the North Chuckanut Mountain Trailhead and (ouch but beautiful) Fragrance Lake Hike.
Fragrance Lake Trail
