Washington’s first state park isn’t up a mountain — it’s a stretch of sandstone coastline south of Bellingham
Washington’s oldest state park isn’t tucked into the Cascades or wrapped around a glacier — it’s a stretch of coastline just south of Bellingham, and it’s been public land since 1915. That’s before most of the current park system even existed.
The whole thing started as a 20-acre gift. Frances Larrabee donated the land in memory of her husband, Charles, a Bellingham timber baron who died before the deal was finalized. For its first seven years the state called it Chuckanut State Park, before renaming it Larrabee in 1923.
The original name still makes sense once you’re driving in. The park sits right along Chuckanut Drive, the sandstone-cliff-hugging road that opened to traffic in 1896 and earned official scenic byway status in 1931 — one of the oldest scenic drives in the state, and still one of the best.
It’s an easy add to a weekend: six miles south of Bellingham, and less than two hours north of Seattle on I-5. You don’t strictly need a car, either — the Interurban Trail runs about 6.2 flat, bikeable miles from Fairhaven straight to the park entrance, tracing Chuckanut Drive the whole way.
Tide pools you can walk to
Clayton Beach is the park’s best argument for showing up at low tide. It’s about a three-quarter-mile walk in from the parking area, and when the water pulls back, the honeycombed sandstone shelves fill with purple sea stars, anemones, hermit crabs, and chitons.
Ever tried planning a beach trip around a tide chart? This is the spot to practice — the pools only really show themselves during minus tides, and Puget Sound’s currents move fast enough that checking one before you go beats figuring it out on the sand.
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Paddle Wildcat Cove
A few miles up the road, Wildcat Cove has its own boat launch into Samish Bay and the small islands off Chuckanut’s shoreline. It’s shallow and tide-dependent, though — the launch works best around high tide, so this is another spot where checking the chart first saves you a headache later.
A lake worth the climb
If you’d rather earn a view than crouch over tide pools, Fragrance Lake Trail switchbacks through the forest for 4.4 miles round trip with about 1,062 feet of elevation gain. Budget two and a half to three hours — it’s a genuine workout, but nothing that requires overnight gear or a permit.
Camp within earshot of the water
The campground has 85 sites total: 51 standard tent spots, 26 full-hookup RV sites, and 8 primitive walk-in sites, along with flush restrooms and showers. Reservations run through the regular Washington State Parks booking system, same as anywhere else in the network.
Day-use parking requires a Washington Discover Pass, same as any other state park or DNR land in the state. It’s not optional, and rangers do check.
More than a century after Frances Larrabee signed over that first 20 acres, it’s still one of the easiest ways to get sand, forest, and a decent night’s sleep out of a single weekend south of Bellingham. Worth bumping up the list, don’t you think?
Trip tips: grab a rental car to make the drive down Chuckanut, lock in a hotel in Bellingham before the weekend books up, or skip both and bring a camper van instead.
Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.
