Discover Bellingham: Trails, Waterfront and Culture

Bellingham can be discovered through a range of specific experiences: trails in Sehome Hill Arboretum, nature experiences along the Native Plant Trail, piers and waterfront trails, exhibitions, and a market with fresh produce and handmade products. This makes choosing a place to stay for your vacation a matter of personal preference: would you like your stay to focus more on nature, water, culture, or a mix of these? These experiences offer different themes to help guide your choice of vacation rental.

Trails, views and nature through the seasons

Sehome Hill Arboretum has six miles of trails. From there, you can enjoy sweeping views of Bellingham’s cityscape and Bellingham Bay. The trail length gives you a sense of the scale of the network, while the views draw your attention to the city and bay. If you want to combine nature trails with expansive views, this offers a specific focus for your stay.

The Native Plant Trail can be visited year-round to experience the seasonal changes in native plants and wildlife. In contrast to the sweeping views from the arboretum, the focus here is on nature’s changes through the seasons. If nature is a priority in your travel plans, this lets you choose between scenic views and seasonal change.

Waterfront experiences: piers and a paved trail

Boulevard Park is located along Bellingham Bay, beside South State Street and Bay View Drive in the South Hill Neighborhood. Its piers over the water include Taylor Dock. This makes the park a specific point of interest for anyone who wants to include a waterfront experience in their stay.

The Squalicum Harbor Promenade offers a different kind of waterfront experience: the paved trail is 1.5 miles long and runs around the Bellwether Peninsula and Squalicum Harbor to Zuanich Park. Its length, surface, route and destination are all clearly specified. Unlike the piers at Boulevard Park, the promenade centers on a paved route with a set destination. If you prefer a clearly defined route for a walk, this trail provides a specific point of reference.

Art, history and traditions

The Whatcom Museum campus in the Bellingham Arts District includes exhibition buildings for art, local history and natural history. Several subjects are represented side by side: artistic content, the region’s history and natural history. If you don’t want to limit your cultural experiences on vacation to art alone, you’ll find other specific points of interest here.

The permanent exhibition People of the Sea and Cedar honors the art, activism and continuing traditions of the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Indian Tribe. This adds an explicitly identified cultural focus to the broader themes of the exhibition buildings. Continuing traditions are just as much a part of the exhibition’s subject matter as art and activism.

Market life and travel interests

The Bellingham Farmers Market offers fresh produce and handmade products and has more than 100 stalls. The market brings together two different interests for visitors: food and handcrafted goods. Unlike the exhibitions at the Whatcom Museum, the focus here is on market offerings. If you’d like to include fresh produce and crafts in your travel plans, the market offers a distinct focus alongside nature and cultural experiences.

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