·

What to Do in Birch Bay Washington: Family fun & Natural Beauty

Hours

Located on the beautiful Pacific Northwest coast, Birch Bay offers a blend of ocean air, natural beauty, and outdoor activities.

In this blog post, I’ll take you through the top things to do in Birch Bay, including beach activities, outdoor adventures, nearby attractions, dining options, and travel tips. Let’s dive in 🤿

Featured Photo Credit: Heather Harvey from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fast Facts

  • Population: 9,900
  • Accommodations: Hotels, Campgrounds, B&B, Vacation Rental
  • How to Get Here: Car, City Transit, Boat
  • Dining: American, Mexican, Seafood

Birch Bay State Park

Located in Birch Bay, Washington, Birch Bay State Park makes for a great afternoon outing for those looking to enjoy a bit of ocean air and natural beauty. This beautiful park is adjacent to the town of Birch Bay, and has a wide range of activities that everyone can enjoy.

Beach Activities

The park is surrounding a stretch of beach where you can relax and soak up the sun. If you’re in the mood for a swim, Birch Bay is known for its relatively warm water, (note: this is still the Pacific ocean so take that statement with a grain of salt), making it perfect for a refreshing dip.

Other things to do on or in the water include crabbing, windsurfing, sailing or kayaking.

For sailing, there are several marinas in the Bellingham area, with the nearest to Birch Bay at Blaine and Semiahmoo. Birch Bay State Park does have one boat launch, and a launch permit is required.

Note that the beach itself is pretty rocky, so if you plan to chill on the beach itself you will want to pack chairs or something comfy to sit on. There are also grassy areas near the beach to spread out on if you prefer.

Other Outdoor Activities

Like most states parks, most of the “to-do’s” are outdoor activities. Aside from water activities take a stroll through the Terrell Marsh trail, an easy .6 mile loop in the southeast corner of the park. This can be a good spot for bird watching, you may even see a heron.

Other walking options include through the campground area, or along the beach.

Birch Bay State Park has a day use fee. As of 2023, it is $10 for one day. If you plan to visit at least 3 Washington state parks in one year, an annual Discover pass will be your best bet.

Camping

If you’re planning on staying overnight, the campground at Birch Bay State Park offers an idyllic spot in the trees, but just minutes from shops, restaurants and other activities.

During the summer, the park also offers environmental education programs.

Birch Bay State park epitomizes what’s so great about the coastal Pacific Northwest–the ocean and the forest adjacent to each other, yet just minutes from civilization.

What Else to Do in Birch Bay

Birch Bay is small, but there’s more to Birch Bay than the state park. This has been a popular destination for Canadians to spend the weekend for decades, so it does have more for the tourist than one would expect.

Golf and Sports

Birch Bay offers a variety of sports activities for you to enjoy during your visit. If you’re a golf enthusiast, you’ll be happy to find two of the best courses in the state nearby–the Arnold Palmer designed Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club, and Loomis Trail (considered one of the top 100 courses in the country).

If you are more of a casual golfer, Dakota Creek or Grandview both are suitable for less experienced players. If you are walking, Grandview is a more level course. Both allow you to play 9 or 18 holes.

More Nature

If you’re a nature enthusiast, don’t miss the opportunity to explore nearby Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve, which offers gorgeous views and a variety of marine life and birds. During low tide, be sure to look out for the numerous shells along the shore.

A short hike (< 1 mile) through the forest brings you from the parking area to the beach. Most of this is flat and wheelchair accessible, however the last bit down to the beach is not. Parking is free. Pay attention to signage in the parking area. I have been here once when there had been recent bear sightings and warnings are usually posted.

Birch Bay Water Slides

I am old enough to say I can remember when this was built. The slides have been luring kids (and their parents) for 35+ years. There are 8 slides in total, 4 main ones as well as some easy kiddie slides, and 2 more adventurous slides, including a freefall. There is also a hot tub area for the bigger “kids.” Oh who are we kidding? You know you want to be on the slides too!

The weather in this area is not waterslide friendly for much of the year, so be sure to check their website for their hours of operation. It is usually only open in the summer.

Station 49

Station 49 also caters to all ages. The three main attractions are a GoKart track, a miniature train that winds through a mile of track in the forest, and an 18 hole mini-golf course.

For the adults there is the additional attraction of a Saloon, which sometimes has live entertainment and line dancing lessons.

Check their website, as there is often a special Christmas train if you happen to be here in December.

Events

There are several events throughout the year including a kite festival, sand sculpture competition, polar bear plunge, and car show.

The best place to keep up with the current year’s events is the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Guide to Birch Bay

To help you plan your trip, here is a quick guide featuring travel FAQs, dining options, and other travel info.

Travel FAQs

  • Where to rent bikes? The Birch Bay Bike shop rents both e-bikes and human powered bikes.
  • What is Birch Bay Square? Birch Bay Square is a shopping center with a grocery stores, restaurants, and various businesses. It is located just off I-5 at exit 270. Continuing a few miles west on Birch Bay-Lynden road takes you into Birch Bay itself, so it is a convenient stop on you way into town.
  • Are there wineries nearby? Although there aren’t any wineries directly in Birch Bay, the surrounding region offers a variety of wine tasting experiences for enthusiasts. There are a number of wineries in Whatcom county creating wines from local grapes and those sourced from Eastern Washington.
  • Are there breweries nearby? The nearby Bellingham area has lots of craft breweries, but you can also check out Beach Cat Brewing in the heart of Birch Bay.

Dining Options

Birch Bay offers a variety of dining options to sample during your visit. Here are a few local favorites:

  • CJ’s Beachouse serves American cuisine and seafood with a bay view.
  • The C-Shop is a Birch Bay institution, makes candy on site, but also serves ice cream and other goodies. Open in the summer only.
  • Nearby Birch Bay Village is home to local burger chain Bob’s Burger’s and Brews. My husband always gets the Aloha burger, and I, well I never met a burger that I didn’t like but the Western Bar-B-Q is my favorite. Salads, sandwiches, and steak & seafood also served.
  • A few miles north in the town of Blaine is Paso Del Norte. The area has many great Mexican restaurants. This restaurant has been around for over 25 years and when I used to work in Blaine, this was my go-to spot.

Where to Stay in Birch Bay

Aside from the state park, there is a Thousand Trails campground. There are no major hotel chains represented, however there are a couple motels.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a place where many people have weekend homes, so your best non-camping bet is one of the condo resorts or a vacation rental. There is a Worldmark here if you are a time-share member, as well as the Sandcastle resort.

If you have a little more room in your budget, Semiahmoo resort is close by and has a beautiful location along the water. Located on a spit, this is a great place to take a walk even if you don’t spend the night.

Bellingham is about 20 minutes away and has many hotel options. Your closest cluster of chain motels will be on Bakerview Drive near the Bellingham airport. Many of these have been built in the last decade and are near to shops, coffee, and restaurants. From I-5 take exit 258.

The Best Western and Holiday Inn are on the west side of the freeway, near the airport. On the east side of the freeway the La Quinta and Hampton are just past Fred Meyer on Bakerview.

Turn right (south) on Northwest Avenue for Springhill Suites and TownePlace Suites (both Marriott) or Home2 Suites.

When to Visit

Several Birch Bay businesses are only open in the summer, so for maximum options choose June through September.

If you want to spend time outdoors, July and August are the driest and warmest. Even though temperatures can get hot inland, Birch Bay gets some nice ocean breezes.

Getting There

Your best bet is to drive. From I-5 in either direction, take exit 270. Head west on Birch Bay Lynden Road which will take you into town. Turn left at the intersection with Harborview to go through town. Continue through town to reach the state park.

If you are coming from the south, you can alternately take exit 266 Grandview drive. Turn right at Point Whitehorn Rd. Coming from this route will take you through the state park first and then into town.

The Whatcom Transit Authority has limited service connecting Bellingham and Ferndale to Birch Bay and Blaine.

The nearest Amtrak stop is Bellingham. The nearest airport is Bellingham.

What to wear

Casual dress is just fine almost anywhere in this area. Anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, layers are your best bet. Bring a winter coat between late October through March, and a light jacket the rest of the year. Summer clothes are recommended in July and August, but be sure to pack some long pants as well.

An umbrella will brand you as a tourist in the Pacific Northwest. A hood on your coat will allow you to stay dry and inconspicuous. Want to fit in? Wear socks with your Birkenstock sandals.