Tag Archives: Whatcom Falls Park

Back to Whatcom Falls After Rain

We visited Whatcom Falls a while back and, at the time, the water levels had been quite low.  I had been thinking about heading back when the water would be flowing more but hadn’t got around to it.  Then, Nancy and I were up in Bellingham for something else and, as we headed home, I make a quick detour to stop off at the falls.  They are so close to the parking lot, you can really make a ten-minute stop if you want.

The water was definitely flowing strongly.  The falls were flowing hard, and the water was also running through the spillway on the other side of the footbridge.  I did go around the top of the falls to see the river flowing in and also take a look at the flow as it headed over the falls.  It was very energetic, and I am glad to have taken the side trip. Here is some video of the falls.

Whatcom Falls Park In Spring

A previous trip to Bellingham had included a walk in Whatcom Falls Park.  At that time, I was quite interested in the shape of the falls and how the water had eroded the rock but there was a low flow of water that day.  I wanted to go back at some point and see the falls with more water flowing over them.  We headed up to have a stroll around the park and to see the falls again recently.

The water was certainly flowing more strongly.  Plenty of people were out to see the falls in flow.  I tried out the view from several different locations although avoided getting too adventurous.  I didn’t fancy getting wet – or worse.  I imagine that things could be even more powerful if the timing was just right after some stormy weather but it was still nice to see the water flowing so strongly.

Old Trestle at Whatcom Falls

A railroad used to run through what is now Whatcom Falls Park.  While the tracks have now gone, a trestle bridge across the water still remains.  I may have lived in the US a long time now, the presence of trestle bridges still fascinates me.  They have a look of Victorian railroads about them but many have survived.  In the UK, old bridges are either iron or brick with multiple arches.  The trestles have a distinctly American feel to them.

There were some barriers around the end of the bridge while we were there.  Checking out some photos online, it looks like the rails used to be suspended across some of the space.  Maybe these have been removed to stop people getting up there.  Fortunately, the majority of the bridge is still intact.  I wonder what happened to the track bed.  The rails are visible up on the top with ties (sleepers) between them but no support which suggests. Train would have had a rough ride.  There must have been more there at some point.

Whatcom Falls Park

We took a trip up to Bellingham to walk around Whatcom Falls Park.  Nancy had come across some trails described in something she was reading so we figured walking somewhere new would be fun.  With a mild and sunny day, we lucked out.  The park was a lovely place to stroll which, despite plenty of other people being around, never felt crowded.

The start of the trails is very close to the falls themselves.  At this time of year, the water level is pretty low.  The falls still looked nice but it wasn’t hard to see the wear patterns in the rocks from where the water can flow when things are a lot more energetic.

Aside from the falls, there are nice water features throughout the park.  You walk through tree lined trails and then get an opening up on the lake.  It is a very pleasant spot on a sunny afternoon.