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Set in a blue cove between Bellingham and Blaine, Birch Bay State Park feels private and secluded without being far from urban life.
Stroll along the rocky beach and take in dramatic views of the North Cascades Mountains and Canadian Gulf Islands. Or head up the Terrell Marsh interpretive trail to a rare saltwater and freshwater estuary teeming with birds and wildlife, including great blue herons.
Low tide reveals a wide mudflat with a treasure trove of clams and other shellfish that can be harvested in season. Bring out the pails, shovels, mud boots and licenses, and start digging! If you prefer to swim, Birch Bay is known for its relatively warm water, and if you'd rather be on the water, the park offers excellent crabbing, windsurfing, sailing and paddling.
Staying overnight? Birch bay camping has a basketball court and environmental education programs in summer ensure fun for the whole family. If you're looking for a side trip, the U.S.- Canada border town of Blaine and the fascinating Peace Arch State Park are only 9 miles north, and the lively university city of Bellingham is 20 miles south. You can always spend an evening in town and return to the beachy bliss of Birch Bay.
Lovely park situated on Birch Bay. Lots of parking at the beach, with large playground. Campground is nestled in a beautiful grove of trees. Some camp sites are more spacious with views of the water.
Beautiful stretch of beach. Lots of oyster and clam shells amongst the rocks. You do need a Discover Pass for the majority of the beach and the park.
A very nice campground so close to the water. There are hiking trails and a path to the beach! The on-site host was very helpful explaining the first come first served self check-in since I arrived off season. There are tent sites, as well as utility sites. I was fortunate enough to get site #11, which is a basic space but has extra space.
I absolutely love this beach park!! They have everything you could need for a day out! There's usually always parking and they have garbage cans with poop bags available everywhere! They have water spigots for your pooch or your sandy feet and BBQ's to use. They don't allow you to collect driftwood to burn on the beach so bring your own wood or charcoal for your barbecue. If you have a discovery pass you don't pay for parking otherwise there's a daily rate of $10 per car. They have a playground for children, tons of picnic tables scattered throughout the park and also have CLEAN public bathrooms with lots of toilet paper!! 🤣👍 They even have a ton of camp sites to offer which are usually booked in advance so plan ahead! It's a great place to walk your dogs and take the family for a day at the beach ⛱
Visiting Birch Bay State Park was such an exquisite experience! I fed a few crows that were brisked by the cold, watched an eagle fly above and over me to land on a nearby tree, absorbed the sun’s radiate glow sparkling my face, welcomed the waves crashing on the shore from the water’s edge, and scouted out the rocks and shells on the sandy floor below. If I had to pick anything apart, I would have loved to see a grander development of the state park area, since it felt awfully short in comparison to the land it shares surrounding the coast. It seems like a lot of housing has encroached upon this location and made the state park smaller over time and became centered more so on the campground it provides than the natural beauty it displays. Despite this, I find Birch Bay to be worth the time and effort to see in a timely manner, a mid-morning walk, or a wonderful sunset stroll.
