Larrabee State Park
Bellingham, WA
Larrabee State Park, established in 1915, was Washington's first state park, and its Chuckanut Drive shoreline still feels like a discovery every time. Wildcat Cove is the easy stop right off the road, while a mile south along the trail, Clayton Beach opens up into honeycombed sandstone formations and tide pools that Bellingham locals have been visiting for generations.
Genuinely scenic sandstone and tide pool beach with real historic weight as the state's first park, deeply loved by Bellingham locals.
How we score beachesDon't stop at Wildcat Cove if there's time for the extra mile to Clayton Beach. The sandstone formations there are the real reason this park has the reputation it does.
A Discover Pass is required for parking; camping is available elsewhere in the park.
Any season works for the sandstone and tide pools. Summer is warmest for actually getting in the water.
This isn't one entrance, it's a stretch with a few. Here's where locals actually meet up.
Wildcat Cove
A shallow cove right off Chuckanut Drive, easy access and popular for kayak launching.
Get directions →Clayton Beach
Reached by a roughly one mile trail south of Wildcat Cove, known for honeycombed sandstone formations and tide pools.
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