- Chuckanut Mountains (wa100.dnr.wa.gov)
The dense forests of the Chuckanut Mountains hide a striking geologic secret, but the mystery won’t be revealed unless you look at a topographic map. The entire area is deformed and contorted into tight folds, exposing the many layers that make up the rocks here. Though visitors to Larrabee State Park won’t see these fantastical landforms as clearly from the ground, hikers will quickly pick up on the unusual curving, ridged terrain. Trails trace the tops of the ridgelines, providing great viewpoints for photographing picturesque Lost Lake and Fragrance Lake. The folded Chuckanut layers also drop down to Puget Sound, offering spectacular views of the San Juan Islands. Geology is only part of the appeal of Washington’s first state park. There is much to do at Larrabee, with campgrounds, picnic shelters, shoreline access, and miles of trails for hiking and biking. Getting to the park is also part of the experience—Chuckanut Drive is famous for great views of Bellingham Bay.
- Chuckanut Mountains (Wikipedia)
The Chuckanut Mountains (from “Chuckanut”, an indigenous word meaning “long beach far from a narrow entrance”), or Chuckanuts, are located along the Washington state coast of the Salish Sea, just south of Bellingham, Washington. Part of the Cascade Range, they are the only place where the Cascades come west down to meet the sea. The Chuckanuts are considered to be a part of the Puget Lowland Forest Ecoregion.