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Maple Creek Park is a 73-acre Whatcom County Park sitting just outside the town of Maple Falls. It contains a section of the developing Bay to Baker Trail, as well as a 1.4 mile-long loop trail. Along the loop are several junctions, none of them marked. To keep on the main loop, the hike is best done counterclockwise.
From the trailhead, the trail drops quickly to a crossing of Maple Creek on a new steel bridge. Just past the bridge, the first unmarked junction appears. Turn right here, on what is a segment of the future Bay to Baker Trail. In 200 yards, keep watch on the right for a narrow, unmarked trail that leads to Maple Falls.
Continue past this, following the main trail another 0.1 mile to the next junction, where the Bay to Baker goes straight. Turn left here and pass a man-made pond on your left and a meadow area on the right.
Just past the pond, find adjacent clumps of three big trees. One is a trio of Sitka spruce, and another is Western red cedar. After the tree clumps, the trail narrows and begins a half-mile climb up the hill through mostly alder forest. In the spring, bleeding heart and trillium dot the side of the trail. At the top of the hill is a ‘T’ junction, turn left here and begin dropping along an old road through a mixed conifer and hardwood forest. The trail levels out and the hiker is back to the first unmarked junction and Maple Creek.
Note on the Area: Maple Creek Park is one of fourteen county parks formed under a conservation easement with Whatcom Land Trust. The creek in the park is an important stream for the spawning and rearing of several salmon species. The upland forests provide shade for the creek, as well as habitat for array of other wildlife species. In addition to salmon in the creek, you may see bald eagle scavenging in the area during spawning season, roughly November through January.
Trailhead
