Whatcom Falls Park is the largest urban park in Bellingham, covering about 100 hectares along the forested canyon of Whatcom Creek as it drops through a series of waterfalls toward Bellingham Bay. The main falls are a genuinely impressive 10-metre cascade surrounded by old-growth-style forest — unusual this close to a city centre. A network of trails follows both sides of the creek, with stone bridges and fish hatchery facilities that were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
The park is used heavily by local runners and dog walkers but never feels crowded. The fish hatchery at the upper end of the park is open to visitors and raises Chinook salmon and steelhead that are used to stock local waterways. In October and November, the salmon run up the creek and can be watched from the bridges — a surprisingly wild spectacle a few minutes' drive from downtown.
story: > In 1999, a pipeline rupture beneath the park released 900,000 litres of gasoline into Whatcom Creek. The resulting fire killed three boys who were playing in the creek and destroyed the streamside vegetation. The park recovered slowly; the replanted trees are now mature enough that the damage is nearly invisible.