Washington's Oldest State Park Is An Idyllic, Mountainous Coastal Getaway To Camp Just Outside Bellingham

For many travelers, camping in Larrabee State Park is what the Pacific Northwest is all about. You set up your tent in a forested site, just a short distance from the shores of Samish Bay. Douglas firs gather all around you, filling the air with that distinctive evergreen scent. Where the trees part, you can gaze across the water at distant mountains. And several times a day, a freight train rumbles past, its horn echoing through the surrounding forests. Downtown Bellingham is only 8 miles away, but in this land of woods and saltwater, you may feel like you've reached the edge of the world.

Larrabee State Park is the oldest state park in Washington, dating back to 1923, and it remains impressive: Larrabee covers 2,748 acres and features 8,100 feet of waterfront. This park is so far north that it's closer to Vancouver, British Columbia, than to Seattle. At peak season, a standard tent site costs between $31 and $43 per night, or about $10 more for full utilities, making it a smart budget destination for Washington road trippers. If the rugged landscape and gorgeous campgrounds of the San Juan Islands are the best place to camp in the Pacific Northwest, Larrabee is a very close rival.

Larrabee State Park feels wonderfully secluded and peaceful most of the day, and the views of the bay and surrounding mountains are idyllic; these qualities alone will satisfy many campers. This area is crisscrossed with hiking trails, which range from easy to challenging. The most popular walk is the Clayton Beach Trail, a 0.7-mile stroll to the water. The trailhead is only 15 minutes from the campground (on foot), and the out-and-back route takes you to a stretch of dark sands on the bay's edge. A far more challenging trek is the Lost Lake Loop, which also starts close to the Larrabee campground but takes you more than 5 miles into the steep Chuckanut Mountains. You could easily add this trail to any collection of less-crowded, magical Washington hikes.

The bay is well suited to water-based activities as well. Bring a kayak or SUP to paddle around these rocky shores; larger boats can put in at Wildcat Cove, just a short distance away. Seasoned scavengers can go crabbing or shellfishing in the shallows, and swimming is possible in the summer months, although these northern waters stay pretty chilly all year.

Up in the northwestern reaches of Washington State, the nearest city is Bellingham, an underrated coastal charmer with similar vibes to Seattle. That city of about 100,000 people is just down the road from Larrabee State Park, and drivers will probably end up driving right past the park to get there. An Amtrak connecting bus does come up this way, but it takes about four hours to get to Bellingham and doesn't stop at Larrabee; taking a car is by far your best option.

Note that entering Larrabee State Park costs $10 per day, or you can purchase an annual Discover Pass for $45. There's also a $7 launch fee for boaters, and camping costs more (see above). You should also prepare for some noise; the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad chugs through here several times a day. The park is open from 6:30 a.m. until dusk in the summertime, then 8 a.m. to dusk in the winter.

If you get your fill of camping or decide to visit Larrabee only for the day, Bellingham is packed with hotels. Most of these places typically cost between $60 and $150 per night. This is an economical place to stay on an overland trip to Canada; the border is just 30 miles north along Interstate 5.