Head South from Bellingham on Chuckanut Drive (State Route 11) until just past milepost 10 (just past Chuckanut Manor).

In a general sense remember that this hiks is up Blanchard Mountain which is just south of Chuckanut Mountain (though they are really the same thing), so you will have driven past much of Chuckanut Mountain.

The trailhead is on the East Side of the road and hard to see. Look for parked cars.

Route Description

This trail is part of the Pacific Northwest Trail which, in bits and pieces, goes all the way to the continental divide. This is its West terminus. For more info on the Pacific Northwest Trail Click Here.

The trail switchbacks up for about a mile through dense forest, gaining about a thousand feet.

At this point (and it is easy to miss) it forks. The right for leads to the Hang-Glider launch and excellent views of Bellingham Bay and the San Juans seen here . The Left fork takes you to Oyster Dome and the Bat Caves.

Take the left for and follow the trail for another mile until you reach another fork this time the left fork will lead to the Bat Caves (where there is also a bolted sport climb, I'll add more info later), and the right for will take you to the famed views atop Oyster Dome seen here

The Last section of trail is steep and can become trecherous when wet. The top of Oyster dome itself is a place to use caution. A fall from Oyster Dome is going to be fatal, be smart when you're up there.

It is also possible to drive to the Glider Launch and proceed from there. This cuts off a mile and a thousand feet of elevation gain. I will post info about how to do this as soon as I have it myself.

Essential Gear

You may want to bring trekking poles. After a heavy snow this can be a snowshoe in winter. Water is essential. On a dry day trail runners will work, any time off season you'll want boots.

Miscellaneous Info

If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.