Bellingham is one of those lovely small cities that are a real treat for running. The city of 50,000, located on Bellingham Bay, is known as a gateway to the San Juan Islands, the Cascade Mountains, and Alaskan ferries. There’s some excellent running in Bellingham, with its ever-improving waterfront and numerous trails along rivers and through forests.
The signature waterfront running route in Bellingham is the South Bay Trail, which can be combined with the path to Zuanich Point. Other centrally located great places to run in Bellingham are Western Washington University and adjacent Sehome Arboretum, and a 10k loop incorporating three parks. In the Fairhaven area, there’s a nice run around Fairhaven Park to the Teddy Bear Cove overlook, and around Lake Padden. Another nice run is to combine the Railroad Trail with Whatcom Falls Park. For a moderate trail run through old growth forest, we love the Stimpson Preserve. More advanced trail runners will find an abundance of options in the Chuckanuts and around Mount Baker.
