Parks in Whatcom County, Washington

North Cascades National Park

• North Cascades National Park covers more than 684,000 acres in eastern Whatcom Count,. Three separate units comprise the park: North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. The park features jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys, cascading waterfalls and more than 300 glaciers. The park is a popular destination for mountain climbers and backpackers. Visitors can also enjoy day hikes, boating and fishing Ross Lake and Lake Chelan and river rafting on the Skagit and Stehekin Rivers. Wildlife viewing, bird watching and horseback riding are also popular activities. The park also offers a variety of camping options, including boat-in camping, car camping and backcountry camping at various points throughout the park's three areas.

  North Cascades National Park Complex
  810 State Route 20
  Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
  360-854-7200
  nps.gov

Birch Bay State Park

• Birch Bay State Park is a 194-acre Washington State Park boasting 8,255 feet of saltwater shoreline along Birch Bay and 14,923 feet of freshwater shoreline on Terrell Creek. The park is located 20 miles north of Bellingham, near the Canadian border in Whatcom County. Named for its abundance of black birch trees, it offers panoramic views of the Cascade Mountains and Canadian Gulf Islands. In addition, Terrell Creek Marsh is one of the few remaining saltwater/freshwater estuaries in north Puget Sound, and there is a natural game sanctuary at the north end of the park. The onsite campground offers 147 forested tent spaces, 20 RV sites (for RVs up to 60 feet long), eight restrooms, 18 showers and an RV dump station. Visitors can enjoy hiking trails, boating, fishing, swimming, crabbing, clamming, wildlife viewing and bird watching.

  Birch Bay State Park
  5105 Helwig Road
  Blaine, WA 98230
  360-371-2800
  parks.wa.gov

Silver Lake Park

• Silver Lake Park is a Whatcom County park located 40 minutes east of Bellingham on at the edge of Mount Baker National Forest and Recreation Area. The 411-acre park, which is in a mountain valley, is known to be one of the Northwest's premier camping parks and plays host to myriad outdoor recreational opportunities. Silver Lake offers 180-acres for fishing, boating and swimming. The onsite campground has 92 tent, RV and trailer sites, a separate "group camp" area with 30 RV hookups, a horse camp with 28 serviced campsites, two kitchen shelters and stables with tie stalls and access to many of the park's trails. Six rustic cabins are also available for rental, and there are two lodges available for larger groups, weddings, banquets and business retreats.

  Silver Lake Park
  9006 Silver Lake Road
  Maple Falls, WA 98266
  360-599-2776
  co.whatcom.wa.us