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Birch Bay State Park |
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Park Overview
 Birch Bay State
Park is a 194-acre camping park with 8,255 feet of saltwater shoreline on Birch
Bay and 14,923 feet of freshwater shoreline on Terrell Creek. The park is rich
in archeological significance and offers panoramic views of the Cascade
Mountains and Canadian Gulf Islands.
A vehicle parking permit is no longer required for day visits.
Park Hours Summer: 6:30 a.m. to dusk.
Winter: 8 a.m. to dusk.
The park is open year-round for camping and day use. Some campsites are closed
in winter.
Camping:
Check-in time, 2:30 p.m.
Check-out time, 1 p.m.
Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Driving Directions Located 20 miles north of Bellingham, Wash., and ten
miles south of Blaine, Wash., near the Canadian border.
From the south:
Take exit #266 off of I-5. Go left on Grandview for seven miles, then right on
Jackson for one mile, then turn left onto Helweg.
From the north:
Take exit #266 off of I-5, and turn right onto Grandview.
Picnic Facilities There is one kitchen shelter with electricity and water. The
park has six sheltered and 120 unsheltered picnic tables.
Activities
| Trails |
Water Activities |
Other |
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- Boating (saltwater)
- Fishing (saltwater)
- Personal Watercraft (saltwater)
- Swimming (saltwater)
- Clamming
- Crabbing
- Oysters
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- 1 Amphitheater
- 1 Basketball Court
- Beachcombing
- Bird Watching
- 6 Fire Circles
- Interpretive Activities
- Wildlife Viewing
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Featured Creatures
| Mammals |
Birds |
Fish & Sea Life |
- Deer or Elk
- Muskrats
- Rabbits
- Raccoons
- Skunks
- Squirrels
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- Crows or Ravens
- Ducks
- Eagles
- Geese
- Grouse
- Gulls
- Herons
- Hummingbirds
- Jays
- Owls
- Woodpeckers
- Wrens
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- Clams
- Crabs
- Mussels
- Oysters
- Sea Birds
- Seals
- Starfish
- Bullhead
- Salmon
- Steelhead
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Environmental Features
| Physical Features |
Plant Life |
Special |
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- Cedar
- Douglas Fir
- Hemlock
- Alder
- Birch
- Cherry
- Maple
- Foxglove
- Lupines
- Rhododendron
- Berries
- Eel Grass
- Ferns
- Moss or Lichens
- Seaweed
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History Birch Bay was named by botanist Archibald Menzies for its abundance of
black birch trees. Menzies was on the 1792 Vancouver expedition. Archeological
evidence indicates that the bay was inhabited by Semiahmoo, Lummi and Nooksack
tribes since prehistoric times. At the turn of the 20th century, the huge fir
trees of the area were logged with oxen and horse teams. Large old-growth
stumps, with spring-board marks, remain as evidence.
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