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Larrabee State Park, Mt Baker & Cascades Tour from Seattle
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Larrabee State Park
- Established
- 1915, generally counted as Washington's first state park
- Size
- 2,748 acres, 8,100 ft of saltwater shoreline, 18 miles of trail
- Typical visit
- 1.5–2 hours for Clayton Beach; 3–4 hours with Fragrance Lake
- Best time
- Weekday mornings, timed to a falling tide
- Clayton Beach trail
- 1.2 miles round trip, about 200 ft gain, easy
- Fragrance Lake trail
- 4.0 miles round trip, 1,260 ft gain, moderate, open year-round
- Entry
- Discover Pass: $10 per day or $45 per year
- Hours
- 6:30 am to dusk in summer; 8 am to dusk in winter
- Address
- 245 Chuckanut Drive, Bellingham, WA 98229
- Dogs
- Allowed on a leash
- Current status
- Camping and main day-use area closed until about mid-June 2027; Clayton Beach and nearby trails open
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Admission
There is no admission ticket to buy for the park itself. Vehicles need a Washington Discover Pass ($10 for a day, $45 for a year). The options below are the guided trips that build Larrabee into a full day, so compare what each one includes, including park fees, before you book.
Larrabee State Park is where Chuckanut Mountain's forested slopes drop straight to the tideline of Samish Bay, all inside one gate on Chuckanut Drive. Frances Larrabee, widow of Charles Larrabee (who championed turning a logging road into Chuckanut Drive), donated the first parcel in 1915, and the park is generally counted as Washington's first state park. Today it covers 2,748 acres with 8,100 feet of saltwater shoreline and 18 miles of trail, and it logged more than half a million visits in 2024.
What makes it worth the drive is how much changes over a short distance. At Clayton Beach, reached by a trail and fenced railroad bridge completed in 2023, a low tide opens nearly a mile of shoreline, honeycombed sandstone and tide pools facing the San Juan Islands. Uphill, the Fragrance Lake trail climbs through old-growth forest to a quiet lake and a side-spur viewpoint over the bay. Plan around the tide and the season rather than the clock, and note that part of the park is under construction until mid-2027 (see the visit notes below).
Plan your visit
- Confirm access before you drive up. Until about June 15, 2027, a water-system replacement keeps the main day-use area, camping and indoor restrooms closed. If Fragrance Lake is your goal, the Cleator Road trailhead (via the Two Dollar Trail) is the alternative start and stays open. The park office is at (360) 676-2093, and work schedules do slip.
- Let the tide set your schedule. The sandstone shelves and pools at Clayton Beach only show on a falling tide, so check a tide table for Bellingham Bay and arrive an hour or two before low water. In Puget Sound the lowest tides tend to fall in daylight from late spring through summer and after dark in winter, so a winter visit needs more planning.
- Use the official beach trail only. It leaves from the Lost Lake trailhead and crosses the tracks on a fenced pedestrian bridge that replaced an informal crossing on a blind curve. Walking onto the beach across the railroad is trespassing on BNSF property, and there is not enough sight line to see oncoming trains.
- Go early or midweek from May to September. The park logged 518,105 visits in 2024, and the Lost Lake lot that serves Clayton Beach is the pinch point on sunny weekends. Gates open at 6:30 am in summer and 8 am in winter.
- Dress for wet ground, not just weather. Sandstone and seaweed are slick, and Fragrance Lake has one stretch that stays muddy. Waterproof shoes beat trail runners from November to April.
- Bring electricity or a card. The Lost Lake lot has a Level 2 EV charger that serves two cars at a time, listed as the only state park charger in northwest Washington.
- Treat the shore as a live tide pool. Look, photograph and leave animals where they are. Crabbing, clamming and fishing need a recreational license, and check Washington Department of Health shellfish biotoxin notices first because harvest closures change often.
- If you camp once it reopens: there are 85 sites (51 standard tent, 26 utility, 8 primitive), reservable from May 15 to September 15. State Parks recommends earplugs, because the railroad and Highway 11 both cut through the park.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a ticket to enter Larrabee State Park?
There is no admission ticket or timed entry to buy for the park. A vehicle needs a Discover Pass, which costs $10 for one day or $45 for a year. Tours differ on whether park fees are covered, so read the inclusions on each listing before you book.
Is Larrabee State Park fully open right now?
Not entirely. From July 1, 2026 to about June 15, 2027, camping, the main day-use area, Welcome Booth, kitchen shelters and indoor restrooms are closed for a water-system replacement. Clayton Beach, Chuckanut Drive access, Hiline and Cleator roads, the Cove Road boat launch and the Lost Lake parking lot with its adjacent trails remain open. Check the Washington State Parks alerts page before you go, because end dates can move.
Is Larrabee really Washington's first state park?
It is the one most often called the first. Governor Ernest Lister accepted the Larrabee deed on October 23, 1915, and the state's Board of Park Commissioners formally accepted it on November 22, 1915, on the same day as Jackson Prairie Courthouse State Park in Lewis County. It was first named Chuckanut State Park and became Larrabee State Park in 1923.
How long does Clayton Beach take, and is it good for kids?
Plan 1.5 to 2 hours including time on the shore. The trail is about 1.2 miles round trip with roughly 200 feet of gain and is rated easy, and hiking sites list it as good for kids. The rocks at low tide are the hazard, so hold the hands of younger children near the tide line.
How hard is the Fragrance Lake hike?
It is a moderate 4.0-mile round trip with 1,260 feet of gain and a high point of 1,190 feet. Switchbacks soften the climb through old-growth forest, a spur at about the one-mile mark opens a view of Samish Bay and the San Juan Islands, and a 0.6-mile loop circles the lake. The trail is for day hikers on foot only, with dogs on a leash, and is open all year.
When is the best season to visit?
Late spring through early autumn gives the driest trails and the daytime low tides that make tide-pooling easy. Winter suits hikers who want quiet, as long as they dress for mud and accept an 8 am opening and earlier dusk.
Can I visit Larrabee without renting a car?
Chuckanut Drive is a rural coastal highway, so most visitors drive or join a tour. TripWays lists a nine-hour guided day trip from Seattle with hotel pickup, an air-conditioned SUV, a Larrabee stop, the Fragrance Lake hike, Fairhaven and the Mount Baker Scenic Byway. Free cancellation applies, while lunch and gratuities are not included.
Can I fish, crab or dig clams at Larrabee?
Yes, with the right paperwork. A Washington recreational license is required for fishing and shellfish, and the Department of Health biotoxin advisories should be checked before any harvest. Wildcat Cove is shallow, and the boat launch is usable only around high tide. A watercraft launch costs $7.
Are dogs allowed at Larrabee State Park?
Yes, on a leash, including on the Fragrance Lake trail. Horses are permitted on some of the park's multi-use trails, but not on Fragrance Lake. Keep dogs out of the tide pools, where animals are easily disturbed.