Day 11 · Scheduled earlier

Chuckanut Drive

Chuckanut Drive corridor at Larrabee State Park, Whatcom County, WA

Chuckanut Drive and Washington’s first state park

This day on the route

Planned date: September 17, 2026
The day: Walking
Planned walking: 6.8 miles

Day 11: 6.8 planned walking miles in the Chuckanut corridor. Water-line work at Larrabee was scheduled to start September 15, 2026, and State Parks notices differed on closure details at the time: camping was closed, and day-use access could change.

Route overview, not turn-by-turn directions.

Gouache and ink illustration of a narrow road curving around sandstone cliffs above blue coastal water, with fir trees and low islands beyond. — Illustration inspired by Chuckanut Drive corridor at Larrabee State Park, Whatcom County, WA.

The 6.8 planned miles follow the Chuckanut corridor beside Washington’s first state park. Water-line construction at the park was scheduled to overlap this stage.

Chuckanut Drive follows steep ground above Samish and Chuckanut bays. WSDOT’s historic-highway account records its opening to automobile traffic in 1916 and describes a narrow roadway with limited shoulders and restricted sight distance. Its short distances on a map follow a coast where the road has little room to spare.

Larrabee became Washington’s first state park when the state accepted a land donation from Frances Larrabee in November 1915. It was initially called Chuckanut State Park and received the family’s name in 1923. State Parks also records that a landslide delayed the planned road dedication, an early reminder that this coastal setting has always shaped access.

Water-line construction was scheduled to begin September 15, 2026, shortly before this stage. State Parks’ project page and park alert gave different closure details: the project listed a broad closure through an estimated May 31, 2027, while the park alert closed camping through June 15 and described changing day-use access.

Day 11 had 6.8 planned walking miles in the Chuckanut corridor, followed by nine miles toward Bellingham. The coast connects the forested Skagit chapter with the city beside Bellingham Bay.

From the road

September 17, 2026

Her awareness day in Bellingham, from city to county, and strangers who found a spot for the tent

She made this her bone marrow awareness day in Bellingham. She had a shower and breakfast at the Lighthouse Mission and walked down into town, leaving her walking poles and her Swiss Army knife behind at the mission.

She called on City Council Member Hannah Stone, who was excited about the walk and about what the City of Bellingham can do to save the lives of patients who need a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. Hannah suggested she take the same request to the county offices, so she did. Riley at the county was interested in working with the city on a Bone Marrow Awareness Day, and in putting the information on the county website, which is his area. A newsletter, a website: wonderful ideas for sharing, she says. Text JADA to 61474 to join NMDP.

Then it was back up the hill to the Lighthouse Mission for the poles and the knife.

Someone had suggested the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship for a bed. They were not able to help, but a gentleman there suggested the Way Station, which was on her list anyway because it helps people with their laundry. So she walked back down past downtown to the Way Station and did her washing.

She had a Zoom call booked with Cristina from NMDP, to talk about a bone marrow drive in Olympia at the end of the walk in October, so she found somewhere to sit down, take the call and charge her phone.

Then she walked back up the same hill and picked up the route towards Ferndale. At Menace Brewing a patron bought her a carbonated water, because she was so thirsty from the walking, and staying hydrated really matters. She charged the phone some more and rang round for somewhere to sleep, without any luck.

Further on she came to Goods Local Brews. The bartender, Bree, heard what she was doing and asked some of the patrons whether they knew anywhere she could pitch a tent. A woman called Sharon and her friend Blake were a great help, and arranged a spot for the tent on a friend’s property. It was off the route, and she expected to owe the miles back, but it turned out she had already walked a tenth of a mile past it. That made her happy.

As she and Blake talked, it came out that Blake lives on the Olympic Peninsula, right on a later stretch of the route. They swapped details, and Blake is looking forward to putting her up when she gets there.

She ended the day in her tent, ready for a good night’s rest.

I like it when my sleeping place is on my route, but sometimes you just have to be flexible.

Jeana Moore

Water pouring from a pale blue pipe into a round concrete pool, seen through black iron railings beside Whatcom Creek.

Whatcom Creek running white over rocks beneath a wooden footbridge, the trees just starting to turn.

The same wooden footbridge from lower down, the creek breaking over a ledge of dark rock beneath it.

A brown park sign reading Welcome to Whatcom Creek, the park closed from dusk to dawn, with the fishing rules listed underneath.

Whatcom Creek running down a steep-sided channel, a small cascade over mossy rocks upstream and white water pouring over smooth, potholed dark rock in the foreground.

Water spilling down a staircase of moss-covered rocks under overhanging branches.

A broad cascade of white water tumbling over mossy boulders.

A long blue sign reading WELCOME, with the City of Bellingham seal as the O and the word for welcome in a dozen languages above and below it, under a clock on a wood-panelled wall.

A calm stretch of harbour water under a clear blue sky, a low concrete bridge crossing it, with waterfront sheds, sailboat masts and a crane beyond and hills in the distance.

Small red-and-white flowers, shaped like tiny lips, among bright green leaves.

One leg of a red granite arch, its bronze plaque headed 1907: In memory of immigrants from India driven out by mob riots.

The red granite Healing and Reconciliation arch standing on a brick plaza, a plaque on each leg, under a big shade tree.

Evening light through a gap in the trees: the bay, a hillside town along the far shore and hills beyond, under an orange sky.

Distance walked: 8.7 miles

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