Riding the Interurban

One night last week when I left work a bit after eight in the evening, it was getting dark by the time I got to Ferndale. Dozens of Canadian geese were flying south in V-formation over town and the air was brisk and damp. Already I'm feeling my usual autumn skittishness.

All through August I have been working two jobs (more about the new one later), six days a week, and on my one day off I'm still dragging my dirty laundry on the bus to Bellingham to the coin-op laundromat.

With the extra paychecks, I hope to afford a vacation soon, as soon as I have time, but I think I might want some time off from my bike. In the meantime, here are some photos from a ride on the Interurban Trail last October.




The Interurban railway used to run between Bellingham and Mount Vernon. Now parts of the rail route have been converted to bicycle and hiking trails in the south part of town, and on the hillside above Chuckanut Drive as far south as Larrabee State Park.


The bike trail through Fairhaven Park, next to Old Fairhaven Parkway, connects to a section of the Interurban that runs straight and flat as far as Arroyo Park on Lake Samish Road. When I lived near the University this was one of my favorite summer evening walks, to the remains of the rail bridge over Samish Road. There is a pretty walking trail across the road along Chuckanut Creek, but I don't like to bike there because it's narrow, muddy, rooty, rocky and shared with walkers, runners, horses and even alpacas.

It's a little tricky to pick up the Interurban Trail from this point. You have to turn right downhill on Samish Road, ride to the stop sign at Chuckanut Drive, where you turn left, then ride on the roadside for a short distance to 21st Street. Here you make a risky left turn across Chuckanut Drive, to a short but very steep hill-climb up to the gravel trail turn-off on the right. Last time I rode this way, the trail had just been thickly re-covered with gravel, making the ride a bit of work, but at least riding slowly is courteous to pedestrians, and allows plenty of opportunity to enjoy the scenery and take lots of photos.

Looking down on Chuckanut Drive

The uphill side of the trail -
rock and mud slides are common in winter

Driveways cross the trail in several places, connecting to Chuckanut Drive if you'd rather ride on the road. And there is a turn-off to Teddy Bear Cove, a small, secluded (and at one time clothing-optional) beach on Chuckanut Bay. The beach is named for the pale, pudgy, herbally inspired college students who visited the cove in the happy hippie days of the '70's.

The trail is mostly flat, but it crosses some creek gullies, so there are short, steep dips and rises in a couple of places.

The trail side is lovely, woodsy and ferny with interesting rock bluffs and peek-a-boo views of the bay through the trees.

From Bellingham it's a twelve-to-fifteen mile round-trip to Larrabee Park, where the rail trail ends. From there you can continue riding on Chuckanut Drive, connecting to Highway 11 in to Mount Vernon. Bay views from roadside turn-outs are stunning, deer graze on the hillsides and eagles glide level with the road. There are oyster farms in the shallows of the bay, and two or three restaurants along the way (some may be closed because of low traffic and slow business).