Larrabee State Park

Larrabee State Park
Washington State Park
The park's rocky saltwater coastline
Name origin: Named for C.X. Larrabee
Country United States
State Washington
County Whatcom
Elevation 1,083 ft (330 m) [1]
Coordinates 48°39′30″N 122°28′36″W / 48.65833°N 122.47667°W / 48.65833; -122.47667Coordinates: 48°39′30″N 122°28′36″W / 48.65833°N 122.47667°W / 48.65833; -122.47667 [1]
Area 2,683 acres (1,086 ha)
Established 1915
Management Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Location in the state of Washington
Website: Larrabee State Park

Larrabee State Park is a publicly owned recreation area located on Samish Bay, six miles (10 km) south of the city of Bellingham, Washington. The 2,683-acre (1,086 ha) state park offers fishing, boating, and camping as well as mountain trails for hiking and biking. It is managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.[2]

History

The park became Washington's first state park after Bellingham businessman Charles Larrabee donated 20 acres of land to the state in 1914. Following Larrabee's death later that year, his widow saw the transfer through to completion and the park was formalized in 1915. Initially called Chuckanut State Park, the park's name was changed to Larrabee in 1923. The Larrabee family donated another 1500 acres in 1937, with neighboring landowners making additional contributions.[3]

Activities and amenities

The park features a short walk down to a pebble beach with views onto Samish Bay and the San Juan Islands. For longer excursions, there are 13 miles of biking trails and 15 miles of hiking trails. Picnicking, boating, saltwater fishing, sailboarding, and beachcombing are among the other recreational options. Two mountain lakes, Fragrance Lake[4] and Lost Lake,[5] offer freshwater fishing for hikers.[2]

Fragrance Lake on Chuckanut Mountain

References

  1. 1 2 "Larrabee State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. 1 2 "Larrabee State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  3. Dougherty, Phil (October 30, 2015). "Larrabee State Park (Whatcom County)". The Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. HistoryLink. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  4. "Fragrance Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  5. "Lost Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Larrabee State Park.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 2/12/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.