Play Ball! - Civic Trail Loop

For this week's walk, I went on a short 1.2 mile walk around the Civic Field Athletic Complex. I was going to go on Sunday, but my water heater died and flooded my bedroom, and then a fabulous storm hit our region so I just managed to get this walk in on Wednesday to bring you the pics on Thursday!

Civic Trail Loop

Bellingham Parks & Recreation

Parking permit: None needed

Distance: 1.2 miles

Elevation gain: minimal

The trailhead is on Civic Field Way across the street from Joe Martin Stadium. During the game when there are no events going on, there should be ample parking.

Might not want to park here during games, though.

The trail serves the local Puget neighborhood and meanders through the woods that surround the athletic complex.

I didn't photograph it but there was actually a fair amount of litter on the trail. I saw a large water container full of soapy water, discarded clothes, and plenty of plastic food packaging. If you're looking for a trail clean-up service project, this would be a good place to start.

On the north end, the trail hugs Geri Fields 1-3.

A decently vandalized Softball Hall of Fame monument provides a picnic area in view of the fields.

The trail will meet up with the parking lot. Across the street, the trail system continues. From here there are several trails that connect to various parts of the neighborhood, but hang a hard right to stay on the loop trail.

You'll emerge from the woods across from Civic Stadium and Geri Field 4.

Take the paved path that runs along Geri 4 for the loop trail. You'll meet back up with the Hall of Fame monument and then you can head back the way you came.

On the way back, I took a smaller loop trail to change things up. It was more of the same woods, but there is a rock that someone definitely had sex behind at some point.

From past geocaching experiences in the area, I can say there is a lot of nookie that goes on in these woods. You don't want to know how I know.

That's it for this week. Now that the storm has moved on it looks like decent weather in the upcoming days so I hope to get some decent walks in.

Behind the Big Box Stores - Cordata Park

This week I had some time after class got out early, and since I was just down the street I decided to visit Cordata Park. It's a newer park that I'd never visited before. The north end of town has seen growth explode in recent decades with lots of big box stores and apartment complexes but not many parks, so this was a much-needed addition to this end of town.

From Cordata, turn onto Meadowbrook Lane and go all the way to the end to the Birchwood Presbyterian Church for parking, as there is no street parking in the area. Right by the roundabout you'll see the trailhead to get to the park. My walking route is below:

Cordata Park
Bellingham Parks & Recreation
Parking permit: none needed, just be respectful of the private parking at the church
Distance: 1.4 miles
Elevation gain: none

It gets dark so early now. 2:30 PM and already long shadows get cast.

Signs remind you to respect the wildlife preservation areas. They show herons and frogs on them. I did not see any herons but I did hear a good chorus of frogs.

The main portion of the park is just a big, open, and fairly-level grassy field. There are some picnic tables, and then there's space to just run. It would be a great space for the local 'hood for Frisbee or to set up a volleyball net or something.

Look at that big boulder. That is someone's picnic boulder.

The trail loops around the field. You can take it south all the way to where it comes out on Horton Road.

I went back through the park and finished my loop around the field, and then took the trail east out toward Cordata. Here you get away from the little bit of woodland serenity as you wander past very obvious apartments.

There are more wildlife signs here, though the only animals I saw were two domestic felines getting into a brawl that was so epic I almost wondered if I should intervene. Unfortunately it sounded like someone may end up with some decent vet bills after that drama. On the plus side, it likely means some of these apartments are pet-friendly, something to consider if I ever need to move across town.

I walked along the sidewalk from Cordata up to Meadowbrook and back to the car to finish my walk. It felt very safe, though I know not far from here there are some relatively less-safe areas. It was like this little oasis in the middle of a bunch of urban sprawl.

A Walk in the Dog Park - Fairhaven Dog Park

So here's the latest news: I have to do a walk a week.

I haven't discussed it on this blog, but I'm going through a divorce. My husband left me, so I started to see a counselor. She has, among other things, prescribed me to walk a minimum of once a week. Specifically, she wants me to walk every trail in the city!

This bodes well for this blog, which I started after I picked up a Whatcom County hiking guide and was disappointed in it and felt I could do better (and then started posting about hikes in other counties).

Last week I walked between Zuanich Point Park and Tom Glenn Commons, which I've already written about before. So this week I decided to go on a short walk someplace that's normally out of my way. It was a short walk, just over a mile, to the Fairhaven Dog Park. This is a nice local dog park where you can let your pooch roam off-leash.

There's parking on 4th street to get to the well-marked trailhead.

Fairhaven Dog Park

Bellingham Parks & Recreation

Parking permit: none needed

Distance: 1.3 miles

Elevation gain: none

There's not much to this little place. From the parking, you quickly enter the off-leash zone. It's a short trail to the main park area.

The dog is enjoying the off-leash adventure

There's a decent sized field where the trail loops around. It's a great place to play fetch and run your dogs if they are into that sort of thing. We saw a handful of other dogs throughout our venture.

The park and trail run past the wastewater treatment plant. Fortunately it's not to odorous.

The dog doesn't care for big fields. He feels sticking to the path is what is proper.

Fall color is still lingering.

There's a lagoon with bird watching opportunities past the off-leash part.

Wastewater treatment tanks

The lagoon is a nesting spot for great blue herons. We didn't see any today though. Just seagulls and crows.

The trail ends in the employee parking lot for the wastewater treatment plant. From here you can take paths and walk along the ferry terminal docks. I just turned around and headed back.

At the trailhead, I crossed the street and took a short jaunt down the trail that leads toward Fairhaven park. These trails connect with South Bay Trail and the Interurban Trail, so you can extend the walk pretty much as far as you like.

I didn't venture far; I just wanted to see the area I had done some volunteer work in for Earth Day several years back. I don't come down here much.

Some recent trail work.

I found some of the trees I helped plant. They seem to be doing well!

I helped plant this.

On my return trip I found one of the historical markers that dot the Fairhaven area.

The QR code was not linking to an active listing, unfortunately. I don't know if they stopped the QR program or if it's just a temporary glitch. Someday I want to blog a walking tour and include all the markers, but that's a time-consuming ordeal I haven't taken on yet. Some appropriately dreary day I will do it, though.

That's all I have for now. I'll have another walk for next week though, or else I'm in trouble with my therapist.

Trees and more trees - Hoypus Forest

Long time no post! Due to schedules, weather, and personal life, I have not had much time to hike, let alone post. I finally, finally got a hike in on Sunday, though! I decided to head to Deception Pass to check out a corner of Deception Pass State Park that I'd never visited before.

To get to Hoypus Point Natural Forest Area, turn onto Cornet Bay Road from Hwy 20 (on the Whidbey Island side of the pass) and follow it all the way until the end.

Hoypus Forest Natural Forest Area - Deception Pass State Park

Washington State Parks

Parking Permit: Discover Pass ($10/day or $30/year)

Distance: 5 miles

Elevation gain: 400'

The parking is right alongside busy docks and a boat ramp. Signs advertise that you can park here for boat tours. I imagine it fills up in the summer, but on this gray and drizzly autumn day it was fairly quiet.

To start off, you'll walk down the road past the gate for about a mile. It's a level and easy hike, with lots of beach access along the way. I encountered a family that had biked down to their favorite beach spot. It seems to be a popular path with the locals.

None shall pass. Except hikers. Hikers are okay.

Along this stretch, you'll get peek-a-boo views of Deception Pass Bridge through the foliage.

At the end of the road is a clearing. A small service road goes up to a storage area, and two trails branch off the end. To get to Hoypus Point, take the left one that hugs the water.

Hoypus Point is a small clearing that opens up to beach. You can see Fidalgo Island to the north. It was pretty misty when I went.

The beach is small but sandy, something uncommon in this region of rocky beaches. It would make a great lunch spot!

Back to the end of the road, take the other trail, which is the East Hoypus Point Trail. Heading into the woods, the trails are fortunately a little more well marked.

There is a decently sized trail system here, so you can mix and match trails to shorten or lengthen your hike as you wish. I plotted out a loop that was five miles including the jaunt out to the point.

There are some amazing trees in here.

This dead tree had a little bit of new growth coming out the top.

Seems like as good as any a spot to take up root.

I was especially fascinated by the fallen giants.

The dog is small, but he looks even smaller here.

There were also lots of mushrooms. I thought these were particularly pretty. I am not a mushroom person though, so not sure what kind they are.

You'll run into the boundary of the park eventually, as well as some residents' backyards, so be respectful. There is a junction with Fireline Trail that will take you back toward the parking lot, but I pressed on for a bit of a longer loop. There are a few unmarked junctions, so when in doubt, hang right. After a brief climb, I turned on the aptly named Hemlock Hideaway.

Then I turned on Forest Grove.

I didn't notice there was a trail named "Slug Slough" when I was initially planning my route, so didn't take this trail, but I wondered if it was as aptly named as the others.

Even though the forest is surrounded by civilization, when you're in the thick of it it's dead quiet and seems to stretch forever.

I rejoined Fireline Trail and then followed the signs back to South Hoypus Point Trailhead to finish off my hike.

The first route I planned out was over 7 miles long when I plotted it out, and you can make even longer routes, so you can spend a fair amount of time exploring these woods. It was a great relaxing getaway for a few hours on Whidbey Island.


I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update here as we go into the winter months. I will see if I can pull photos from old hikes and run with those. I may cut back to updating every other week though. We will see what happens.