Outdoors - Hiking and Trails

POSTED: Friday, Apr. 11, 2008

Fragrance Lake: Leg-stretching hike with great reward

This is a pleasant, leg-stretching hike that makes the Chuckanut Mountain trail system one of the great things about living in Whatcom County.

The trail winds through part of Larrabee State Park, takes you through the woods and features peek-a-boo bay views, a pretty waterfall and the glass-like surface of Fragrance Lake at the end. On a hot summer day, jumping in for a swim is a cool reward.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Elevation gain: Nearly 1,000 feet.

Round trip: 5½ miles.

Hiking time: 1 hour, 45 minutes.

Users: Hikers, horses and bicyclists on the access trail to Fragrance Lake Trail. Hikers only on Fragrance Lake Trail.

Best time: Year-round.

Family friendly: Yes.

Dogs: Dogs must be on a leash.

Amenities: Restrooms at the Clayton Beach parking lot.

Maps: Washington State Department of Natural Resources map at www.dnr.wa.gov. Click on “Maps” on the upper left, then “Trail Maps” on the right. Then scroll down to “Chuckanut Mountain.” Also look for them at the public information board in the parking lot.

Driving directions: Drive south on Chuckanut Drive to the parking lot for Clayton Beach Trail. Look for a sign that reads “Clayton Beach Day Use Parking” and the lot on your left. It’s 9½ miles from downtown Bellingham, or about 15 minutes.

Getting there: The access trail starts just off the parking lot and around a gate. (Don’t be deterred. It’s there to keep vehicles out.) You’ll start out by walking on Fragrance Lake Road, which is a gravel route. Walk past the sewage treatment plant on your left and keep going until you see a fork in the road. Go left to hook up to Fragrance Lake Trail.

As you near the end of the trail, take a right or a left for a 0.75-mile loop around Fragrance Lake.

Tougher hike 1: If you prefer a route that’s more challenging, go to two small parking areas located off Chuckanut Drive just before you get to the Clayton Beach parking lot. Park and then hit the steep switchbacks that start near the parking areas. Your walk on this route will be shorter, but your calves will cry with the effort.

Tougher hike 2: Start by turning left onto Hiline Road from Chuckanut Drive. Stay on the road and follow it up and to the left as it curves and turns into a gravel road, which becomes Cleator Road. Go until you see a small parking area to your right, just before a gate and near a black sign that reads Larrabee State Park. Park there, if space is available.

Start walking on the trail that’s just off the parking lot and begin huffing up narrow switchbacks. The elevation gain on this route is at least 400 feet, about all of it near the start.

Take the time to admire bay views through the trees and a rip-roaring waterfall nearly 30 minutes into the hike. A few minutes after after the waterfall, there’s a bright yellow sign that reads right turn. Take it, or you can go to the left.

If you follow the sign, be ready to duck under three trees that have fallen over the trail. This is a secondary trail that takes you to a viewpoint overlooking Fragrance Lake.

When you’re done admiring the scenery from up high, go left on a narrow trail (keeping the lake on your right) and start walking down. Soon after you start on this path, you’ll see a stream below you. At this point, you’ll need to scramble down to reach another part of the dirt trail; you’ll be heading to the right and walking by a huge block of Chuckanut sandstone that looks like it’s being held in place by trees cracking under its weight. Follow this trail to the