# Bellingham Area Rides



## ~David~ (Jul 2, 2006)

I'm getting a new bike pretty soon and i was woundering if anyone new of any good places to ride in the Bellingham Washington Area.


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## borregokid (Jun 9, 2005)

*Lot of backroads*

I dont live around there but I know you have all kinds of back roads so you can pretty much make up your own route. If you think you are in pretty good shape drive out to the town of Glacier and pedal up to Mt Baker. Its 24.3 miles to the top and I think about 5000 feet of climbing. That should keep you busy. The ride down is a little easier.


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## aezephyr (Jun 30, 2006)

*Riding near Bham*



~David~ said:


> I'm getting a new bike pretty soon and i was woundering if anyone new of any good places to ride in the Bellingham Washington Area.


Well, I wish there were more good, close-by, mountain rides. You think we'd have them... There are howerver, a ton of great rides very close to bham:

Chuckanut drive is good on weekdays when the traffic is low. It's a drag when traffic is high, however. South of Chuckanut, anywhere down in Skagit is nice, though quite flat. East of I-5 in Skagit there are several very nice roads, not at flat as west of I-5; nice and shady for those hotter days too. Sudden valley makes a quick trip and you can loop down around lake Samish or Chuckanut or I-9 if you want to stretch it out. I-9 is surprisingly low traffic; I always expect it to be worse than it is. Mosquito lake road is a dream, especially at it's south end. I wish it was 100km longer. Mt. Baker hwy has too many cars and has crapy shoulders--but get used to it, 'cause you'll ride it sooner or later. The ride up to Mt Baker is good if you can go when there is low traffic... good luck on that one though. Silver lake and South Pass road are great (circumnavigate mt sumas). Lots of nice riding up in the Fraser Valley - it gets better the farther east you go. way to many cars in Aldergrove, White Rock, Surrey, and Langley though. Fernadle, Blaine, the whole of whatcom county: realativly car free and lots of nice little, albiet mostly flat, roads.

Basically, get on your bike and ride anywhere, chances are you'll find something you like. 

-- Jonathan


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## BenWA (Aug 11, 2004)

*Agree*

Chuckanut Drive was my favorite when I lived just above Boulevard Park. I used to go to the bridge just beyond the oyster bar, right before the Skagit flats for a 22 mile out and back...or I would continue along the Skagit flats to make a longer ride of it (usually to the tune of 40-50 miles), or down into Skagit flats and then loop around the shore of Lake Sammish back up to Bham. Mt Baker highway was always a good ride, especially when linked to whatever that road is called that I cant remember the name of that goes up to Everson (part of the ski to sea course). Lots of flat riding north of Bham towards Ferndale and whatnot. Never really ventured much farther north than that though. Take the ferry out to Orcas or Vancouver Is. (e.g., Sooke, BC) sometime...good riding there, too.


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## aezephyr (Jun 30, 2006)

aezephyr said:


> Mosquito lake road is a dream, especially at it's south end.


Bleh!

I just went out there again today to discover that the entire southern end of Mosquito Lake Road, from the one lane bridge to I-9 (almost), has been covered with gravel. What was, a week ago, a dream of a rolling ride on a beautiful smooth road with no cars, is now only fit for fat tires... sigh.

Go Floyd!


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