Explore the best rated trails in Bellingham, WA, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Olympic Discovery Trail and Larrabee Trail . With more than 21 trails covering 215 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
76° on a late afternoon Sunday in July, but the asphalt Centennial Trail from the Pilchuck Trailhead in Snohomish to Arlington was only lightly traveled - occasional families and friends cycling or ped’ing - on my year-later return visit cycling this rural trail.
Pilchuck trailhead, it turns out, while a couple miles further north from the endpoint in Snohomish itself, is faster to get to from Seattle. It's actually about .2 miles north of 6398 S Machias Rd., the address I’d put into Maps, but keep your eyes open: its large gravel parking lot (with portapotties) on the east side of Machias Road is hard to miss.
Embarking north from Pilchuck trailhead, the trail parallels S Machias Rd for 2.8 miles, passing one farm after another, then crosses it at a signal before angling into the countryside; at 3.3 miles it reaches a train depot with restrooms - the Machias trailhead.
At 4.1 miles the trail returns to paralleling Machias Rd as the valley narrows. At 4.8 miles the terrain transitions from farmland to sylvan and what was mostly flat trail angles up to a slightly uphill grade that over the next four miles takes cyclists and peds from the valley to the ridge.
At 5.9 miles, the Lake Stevens trailhead’s large gravel lot signals a bit more than a mile of light industrial, the Hartford trailhead turn off early in that mile, before we return to forest. At 7.8 miles, a mown wide shoulder on the east side of the trail sports sections of single track paralleling the paved trail, for the more adventurous among you.
At 8.8 miles, reaching the ridge, the trail flattens once more. At 9.5, on the west side, look just beyond the kiosk, picnic tables, and portapotties, where a wooden bridge provides access to Lake Cassidy. At 10.9 you pass the Getchell trailhead with its large gravel lot just to the east of the trail; just a hundred feet further, you may want to use the crossing signal for busy 84th St NE.
At 11.7 miles as you cross beneath Highway 9, you're at more or less the highest point on the trail, and begin the five-mile decline to Arlington. But you don’t get a view out across the valley until 13.2 miles from the Pilchuck trailhead, where a half mile or so of breaks in the forest and underbrush reveal lovely views of farmland below and the Olympics in the distance (not to mention a trailside billboard (!) advertising home lots with views just below).
Don’t be confused when you reach Armar Road at 15.9 miles and the trail appears to veer west - it’s just a leg off to the trailhead there, and more importantly a signal to horse riders to take the turn and not continue horseriding to Arlington. Cyclists and peds: to stay on the Centennial Trail, continue straight.
I turned around at 17 miles, when the trail began to literally be a sidewalk along busy 67th Ave NE, as it approaches Arlington.
The parking, the restrooms, the signage no longer exist.
Instead of going east from here to Concrete, we drove to Concrete and then took the trail west.
The park in Concrete was convenient and shaded.
Much better than parking at Baker lake road, even if it was available.
Have ridden the Whitehorse a number of times and enjoyed it each time. Trail is still closed between the Centennial Trail at Arlington and Trafton due to a slide. Its lightly used and a bit rough between Trafton and the Hwy 530 crossing where a short 2.3 mi paved section starts. It does smooth out a bit after the pavement and I always enjoy the bridges, river views, and mountains. The trail is paved thru the Oso Memorial to C Post Road. We were glad to see the memorial is finished and it is quite beautiful. It pays tribute to the 43 people who died as a result of the March 22, 2014, slide. Plan to spend a some time looking at the touching remembrances, there are bike racks, please don't ride your bike.
The trail does continue on to Darrington, but the times I've started from the memorial it was a bit overgrown. Plus there is a slide closer to Darrington. We plan to try it this summer.
I rented a bike from the Snohomish Bike shop on Pine Ave. The shop is right next to the trail. I cycled the trail to the end at Nakashima Heritage Barn North Trailhead, about 29 miles from the bike shop, I cycled back to Snohomish. there are lots of trailheads all have either a restroom or a portapotty. However, none of the drinking fountains were working, the bike shop rent a bike only had one water bottle cage. In Arlington there is an art walk and a nice coffee stop. my ride ended at 62.6 miles. A bucket list ride
Rode the trail from darrington to trafton with a car at both ends on a bluebird day. Blue sky, fall colors, salmon swimming upstream. What a day! Enjoyed the eastern half of the trail a bit more than the western half. It was more wooded and further away from Hwy 530. It was also narrower so difficult to ride abreast. Eastern half is all gravel while western half has several extended paved sections. Don’t know how those decisions were made. Crossed well over a dozen bridges/trestles on the trail. The bridges were slick as snot due to wet leaves so use caution
Did most of this trail today (starting in Sedro-Woolley)—38.2 miles in total. We turned around just before Hurn Field Conservation Area. There’s a big tree down across the trail at Hamilton Junction but you can get over it (although tough lifting a 65 pound e-bike). There’s also a partially collapsed trestle bridge over a creek that had no water in it. No problem still getting over bridge—just have to get off your bike. Overall, a beautiful trail that is in pretty good shape. One area has some deep ruts. Fall colors of deciduous trees were wonderful. Trail got less and less busy as we got closer to Concrete but not busy for a sunny Sunday. Some parts you’re close to Hwy. 20 unfortunately.
While I understand the need to use RTT as a form of economic development, it sure would be mighty appreciated to include some landmark state and county parks. We spent far too much time planning for this. Yup that’s part of the adventure but still.
I was trying to do this trail but once you get out of fairhaven, there is a closed bridge and no clear way around it unfortunately. I ended up just doing some road biking instead. Other then that i really enjoyed the sections of the trail that were accessible.
We rode this Trail all the way far past where it says it's closed at the RV Park across the bay on the walk/ bike Bridge to the street
We were four road bikers who spent four days biking from NE of Blyn (where the paved trail began off of Old Blyn Hwy) to LaPush. We knew there would be some stretches of unpaved trails and multi-use roadways, so we made sure we had vehicle support. Our tour was successful but we would caution bikers who might expect a pleasant, uninterrupted journey. Twice we opted to load the bikes and ride in the car because of heavy truck traffic and no shoulders; so, if you're prepared to endure the wind from a passing logging truck, have at it. We met several "endurance" cyclists that we admired greatly - a lone mom on an eBike with a 5-year-old girl who could choose to ride in the well-equipped front-mounted carriage or walk while Mom walked (and pushed the bike). They had experienced a flat rear tire in pouring down rain the previous day that took its toll with a one-mile push-the-bike and a 4-hour wait while other good Samaritans helped them change the tire when an arranged tow vehicle called to say they were too busy to put them on their list. Another two ladies each cycling with trailers, one with one child and the other with two, were loaded to bear with three balance bikes on top of their overnight gear. As we passed them I checked my computer - 6 & 7% grade. We enjoyed the trail and hope to do it again when there are more sections of separated and paved trails. The Spruce RR Trail was wonderful, the highlight of the trip, but a real challenge for the SAG driver to find the other end in order to bike backwards toward the rest of us bikers, our mode of getting the most biking possible without giving up the SAG.
We started our ride from the Birch Bay State Park and headed north around the Semiahmoo area on Birch Point Road, Which connects to this trail right before it goes out onto the spit. We tried biking down the trail and back up the hill from the spit and found it very difficult with all the tree roots that have made the path very uneven and unsafe, when traveling at any speed. It’s a beautiful walking trail, but not so great for biking.
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