Whatcom County, Washington
Looking for the best chillin in Whatcom County? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Whatcom County. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.
Top Chillin Spots in and near Whatcom County
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Surrey, British Columbia
Hike the Elgin Heritage Park Nature Trail
4.02 miHead over to this magical little park by the water. The forested area between the 2 entrances to the park has many large trees often used by eagles and hawks to survey the surrounding area for prey. The habitat functions of the marsh significantly contribute to the ecological value of the lower N...Read more -
Rockport, Washington
Canoe Diablo Lake
Pack up your canoe with supplies for the day and launch from Colonial Creek Campground Area to begin your journey. As you approach the bridge to cross the lake, pull off to the parking area, there is signage for the boat launch area where you can easily carry your equipment down to the water's ed...Read more -
Rockport, Washington
Camping in the North Cascades at Diablo Lake
4.0Diablo lake is the perfect place to camp if you're looking for solitude and natural beauty. It's northeast from Seattle in the North Cascades. Colonial Creek Campground has large camp sites right on the lake. It is first come first serve, however check out is at noon so arrive around 11:30 to sna...Read more -
Rockport, Washington
Backpack to High Camp on Ruby Mountain
17 mi / 6300 ft gainRuby Mountain is one of the North Cascades more prominent peaks, sitting high above Diablo and Ross Lakes. This trip is one for more experienced hikers with a very aggressive incline from start to finish. If that does not scare you then definitely add this amazing hike to your list. While it can ...Read more -
Surrey, British Columbia
Walk the 1001 Steps Trail
2.00.3 miOne of Surrey's hidden gems, head down to this short trail down a set of stairs that will take you to an uninhabited beach.The zig zagged steps take you down to the Birlington Rail Lines and you can walk along a trail to an opening under the tracks. Head to the beach from here where you will like...Read more -
Rockport, Washington
Hike to Ross Dam
5.02 miThis is a short hike at just under 2 miles round-trip, with little elevation change. The trail begins at a parking area, alongside Washington Route 20. The hike takes you through the forest to an overlook of both Ross Dam and Ross Lake, before making the final descent down to the dam. The trail i...Read more -
Rockport, Washington
Kayak Ross Lake to Cougar Island and Rainbow Point
5.0Start from the Ross Lake Trailhead off Highway 20. Hike down with your vessel 1.5 miles to the hull road. From there you can launch your vessel. Ross Lake is very large with many destinations to paddle to. I went to Cougar Island and Rainbow Point then paddled up to multiple spectacular wate...Read more -
Surrey, British Columbia
Catch a Sunset at Crescent Beach
5.0Crescent beach is a great place to end your day, by taking some sunset pictures. It often lights up the sky and really pops with colour. It is best to park at the main parking lot near the pier and start from there. The beach walk from the pier to the end is just over a kilometre, so is very shor...Read more -
Olga, Washington
Hike the Sound View Trail
0.4 mi / 50 ft gainObstruction Pass State Park is something of a hidden gem on Orcas Island given that its nearby neighbor, Moran State Park, gets most of the tourist attention. What this means is that you can find solitude and quiet, *and* make a visit to the only publicly owned beach on the island. There are seve...Read more -
Moran State Park, Washington
Camp at Moran State Park
Moran State Park is an true gem within the beautiful San Juan Islands. The park takes up a large portion of the East side of Orcas Island, the largest of all the San Juans. There are multiple campgrounds within the park along the shores of Cascade Lake and Mountain Lake. For the most relaxing exp...Read more -
Blakely Island, Washington
Boat Camp at Blakely Island
From Washington Park in Anacortes, Washington we launched our 19' Beachcraft with a deep hull into Puget Sound on a beautiful blue sky morning. The weather and water was favorable for an overnight adventure to Blakely Island! We made our way across Rosario Straight and toward James Island (20 mi...Read more -
Hope, British Columbia
Hike the Kettle Valley Trail through the Othello Tunnels
3.03.4 mi / 300 ft gainThis 5.5km loop family-friendly hike is highly accessible and an easy jaunt into the beautiful Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park. Just two hours from Vancouver, the loop hike will take you up and down through some lush forest towards the beautiful old railway tunnels which were built in the early...Read more -
Eastsound, Washington
Go Whale Watching from Rosario Harbor
No visit to the San Juan Islands is complete without taking a whale watching tour and Rosario Harbor on Orcas Island is uniquely situation to allow for trips east into the Rosario Straight, south into Lopez Sound, or west into the Haro Straight. Such flexibility is useful when on the looking for ...Read more -
Blakely Island, Washington
Hike and Camp at James Island
If you're looking for a weekend camping getaway to a small San Juan Island and you have a boat of substantial size or experience sea kayaking, this is the adventure for you!Launch your boat from Washington Park in Anacortes and cruise or sea kayak across Rosario Straight to James Island. There i...Read more -
Anacortes, Washington
Hike Sares Head
2.1 mi / 440 ft gainStarting at the parking area, there is a roughly 2 mile hike through the woods. Depending on which route you take, you will suddenly end up at one of many incredible view points looking West at the Olympic Mountains, open ocean, and the San Juan Islands. In some areas you will be about 150 feet a...Read more -
Oak Harbor, Washington
Photograph the Deception Pass Bridge
4.5Once you've parked your car, there is a $10 fee which can be paid at the station right next to the bridge unless you have a Discover Pass. From there, you can either go down the stairs to the beach or continue to walk across. Towards the middle, there are some stairs to get down and take some pho...Read more