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Samish Crest Open Space

Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area
48.7327, -122.4536 Map & Directions
Length
3.6 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
490 feet
Highest Point
880 feet
Calculated Difficulty About Calculated Difficulty
Easy/Moderate
View of Bellingham Bay from the Samish Crest Trail. Photo by Tiffany Chou. Full-size image
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Good for kids

Parking Pass/Entry Fee

None
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Connecting the Puget and Samish neighborhoods of Bellingham is the Samish Crest Trail, meandering through the Samish Crest Open Space, where hikers will find even more trails to explore. Continue reading

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Hiking Samish Crest Open Space

The Samish Crest Open Space is a 113-acre nature area and trail network in Bellingham's Samish neighborhood. Some of the trails are wide and graveled, making for a smooth hiking experience, while some other trails in the network are narrower or packed dirt instead. 

The Samish Crest Trail is the backbone of the trail system, with one end on the edge of the Puget neighborhood and the other in the heart of the Samish neighborhood. It's about 1.7 miles one-way and can be turned into a thru-hike as you can take the bus to/from either end (except on Sundays). 

On a hike here, you'll get to walk through tall trees in the forest, pick salmonberries in the right season and get views of Bellingham Bay when you ascend over the tops of the trees. If you're interested in doing more exploring, travel down some of the trails in the system, many of which will drop you off in a residential neighborhood. 

Toilet Information

  • No toilet at trailhead

More information about toilets

Samish Crest Open Space

Map & Directions

Trailhead
Co-ordinates: 48.7327, -122.4536 Open in Google Maps

Before You Go

See weather forecast

Parking Pass/Entry Fee

None

WTA Pro Tip: Save a copy of our directions before you leave! App-based driving directions aren't always accurate and data connections may be unreliable as you drive to the trailhead.

Getting There

One end of the Samish Crest Trail  which runs through the Open Space — is at the end of Racine Street. The other end of the trail is at the end of Governor Road.  

Please note that there is very limited parking here as it is in a residential neighborhood — please consider taking public transit to reach the trailhead. There are no amenities at the trailheads. 

Take transit

Racine Street trailhead: Take the 533 Whatcom Transport Authority bus to Yew Street at San Juan Boulevard. Head west on San Juan Boulevard, then turn left onto Pacificview Drive. Turn left onto Consolidation Avenue, and immediately turn left onto Racine Street. The trailhead will be the end of the road. [This is an approximately 0.8-mile walk after getting off the bus.]

Governor Road trailhead: Take the 533 Whatcom Transport Authority bus to Yew Street at S Hills Drive. Head northwest on S Hills Drive, then turn left onto Edgefield Drive. Turn right onto Governor Road. The trailhead will be at the end of the road. [This is an approximately 0.5-mile walk after getting off the bus.]

Please note that the 533 route does not run on Sundays.

More Hike Details

Trailhead

Puget Sound and Islands > Bellingham Area

City of Bellingham

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Samish Crest Open Space

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