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Trailblazers: Interurban Trail

Arroyo-3
Photo by Heather Bates
For this week’s accessible winter hike I stayed closer to home than the Oyster Dome and checked out the Interurban Trail. It was quite blustery and wet not ideal for hiking however, if you must get outside the Interurban is a good bet. The trail is so long you can literally choose your level of hike. Options range from a short, flat hike akin to walking on a wooden sidewalk to a hardcore zigzag through Arroyo Park.
Arroyo-2-copy
Photo by Heather Bates
The Interurban connects through so many different parks and open spaces, here is a link to a .pdf map put out by the City of Bellingham. https://www.cob.org/documents/parks/parks-trails/trail-guide/interurban.pdf The Interurban also has many smaller trails as you can see on the map, on all Interurban trails, horses and pets are only allowed on the larger, fully groomed trails.
Interurban-Rotary-trailhead
Photo by Heather Bates
I decided to make the Rotary trailhead my starting point for this trail review. Starting here is a great idea because there is a paved, safe parking lot and a clear entrance. From this point, you can travel either direction west toward the water or east away from it.
Woodstock-Farms
Photo by Heather Bates
If you follow the trail through Fairhaven, you eventually reach Arroyo Park. This is also a good place to park if you don’t want to do the whole thing. A Discover Pass is not required however, be careful, this area is known for car break-ins when vehicles are left for long periods of time. Following the trail through Arroyo is a maze of switchbacks and muddy trails. Be aware that when it is raining, this park’s trails become a waterfall and while it is still walkable, it makes the experience harsh on good hiking boots.
Inspiration-point-1-dark
Photo by Heather Bates
After this area, you will eventually come into a grass-laden path. Mist seems to cling here, rolling along within the lichen-laden trees. This path will lead you into Woodstock Farms. While I was there, I even spotted a small deer with her winter coat on eating grass at the farm. The buildings are open to visitors during the summer months, but you can still walk around the property in the winter. Keep going a ways and the path will lead you along Chuckanut Drive and down to Inspiration Point. Many people have carved their names into the cypress tree that stands next to the stone bench bearing the initials “KFC” in molded metal. This point has a view of many surrounding land masses and islands and is a wonderfully magical place to view the water from, regardless of a stormy, wet day.    


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