Larrabee State Park - Washington
Welcome to Washington State’s first park! Larrabee State Park is a charming campground located along the famous Chuckanut Drive.
Larrabee State Park is in Northwest Washington State, near Bellingham and the seaside town of Fairhaven. Day use facilities at the park are generous and include an amphitheater, picnic tables and trails. The most popular trail leads to Samish Bay which offers views of the San Juan Islands. The bay lends itself to boating, paddling, fishing, and shellfish harvesting.
We made a plan to explore the beach at low tide which paid off big time. Tide pools were teeming with sea life! We found starfish, crabs and sea anemones.
Chuckanut Drive itself did not disappoint. We’ve been hearing for a long time that this is the best drive on the Puget Sound. The drive is 21 miles long and includes a lot of opportunities for viewpoints. The best part of the drive for us was a visit Taylor Shellfish for some fresh oysters and let’s just say that was an excellent choice!
You can’t discuss Larrabee State Park without mentioning the train. If you are a train lover this is a fantastic camp site for you. When we booked the camp site there was a clear warning that train noise was excessive. Trains ran frequently throughout the day and night (the website warns it can be up to 16 times a day) and the noise was no joke. We didn’t get a wink of sleep. Campsites on the North side might not experience the noise on the level that we did but I would definitely bring earplugs if you are on the South side.
Our Take: Bring earplugs and enjoy the view. Between the Chuckanut Drive and the train tracks this campground is very noisy but location more than makes up for that. We enjoyed the easy access to the sea and the beautifully wooded areas of this location. If you want to treat yourself to a meal or need supplies, Fairhaven is a great choice. Although this is the oldest site in the state you wouldn’t guess that from the bathroom facilities which were very nice and clean.
Fire Ring: Yes, not cleaned regularly. No wood for sale onsite.
Ranger Station: Yes
Trash on site: Yes, and recycling!
Water on site: Yes
Links: Taylor Shellfish, Larrabee State Park, Larrabee State Park Map, Fairhaven, Chuckanut Drive
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Click here for our full disclaimer.
