Miles: 4.8 miles
Elevation Gain/Highest: 990ft/1390ft
Map: Whatcom County Parks & Recreation
Favorite Eats After Hike: Skagit Valley Co-op, Shambala Bistro and Bakery, Boundary Bay, Bellingham Cider Company, Fiamma Burger, La Fiamma Wood Fire Pizza,or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
Hike details:
The Lake Whatcom Chanterelle Trail is a wander on the gentle, forested trails of Stuart Mountain up to an overlook viewpoint with Lookout Mountain, Bellingham Bay and Puget Sound on the other side of the lake and Canada on the horizon. If you want a longer hike, it is possible to continue another 2.5 miles on the upper Chanterelle Trail for a total of 10 miles RT.
My trip report:
5/15/2021
This was my first time visiting the trails on the east side of Whatcom Lake and despite the crowds, we didn’t see many people.
We parked in the lower parking lot and accidentally started on the trail that heads around the lake (Hertz Trail) but luckily there was a little side trail and we were able to course correct and find the Chanterelle trailhead in the upper parking lot.
The trail was an easy grade and crossed the Wickersham Truck Road that also runs up/down the slope multiple times. We saw a few bikers and hikers but mostly had the trail to ourselves.
We reached the viewpoint at about 2.8 miles up and stopped at a small overlook just short from the main one where a large hiking group was admiring the views over at Lookout Forest Preserve and far out at the Sound.
For variety, we took the wide gravel road of Wickersham down to see what it was like. The view was nice but it did run under the powerlines for a bit which was not so nice. Our loop came to 4.3 miles round trip and 2.5 hours. Lunch on the patio at Bellingham Cider was the perfect way to cap the day.
Directions: From Bellingham, follow North Shore Drive to Lake Whatcom Park. There is a lower and upper parking lot, the Chanterelle Trail leaves from the upper lot but a trail from the lower lot will connect you. There is a kiosk there with directions and map for the trails. Privy available and no parking pass needed.
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