Lake Padden Park
by Ginger Oppenheimer12/11/2007 11:30:19 AM
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Average Rating : 9.0
Nestled in the Chuckanut foothills east of I-5, Lake Padden Park is one of the most diverse municipal parks in the Pacific Northwest. You and your kids will have a blast at Padden! You can swim or you can ride your bike (or your horse!). You can play on the playground, feed the ducks, spot a bald eagle, or play family softball. You can hike all the way around the lake on the trails, explore up in the hills, or have a picnic. You can canoe and sail and kayak. Or you can watch bike races, triathlons, or swim contests. You can play basketball, golf, or tennis! Padden has something for everyone!
Padden ball field after a recent snowfall.A Little History
Lake Padden was Bellingham’s original drinking-water source and some original structures from the 1930s are still there; a wood-lined tunnel and a well house can be found just at the outlet of Padden Creek. Because the lake was considered a reservoir, a road around the lake was made, which explains why the present-day graveled trail around the lake is so wide and accommodating. The city park was established in 1972.
The Lake
The park, open year round, is composed of about 900 acres and the lake consists of just 152 of those. The lake is the central jewel in a beautiful crown of green-treed hills. Lake Padden has a roped-off swimming area in the summer with a dock—it’s great for diving or just hanging your toes into the water. The swim area has a swim/change house, complete with showers, and the grassy area between the changing house and the lake tumbles gently down to the beach, making the water easily accessible for toddlers and teens alike. The lake has no lifeguard, however, so swim with caution.
Warm summer days can be crowded! But it’s a great chance for you and your friends to take turns watching the kids splash about while one of you takes a quick spin on your bike or jogs the easy 2.6-mile trail that encircles the lake. You’ll be back just in time for a picnic!
There are plenty of picnic tables (with grills) scattered about the north and east sides of the park, but if you’re having a big party or a celebration, you can also rent the picnic pavilions. Call in plenty of advanced time—these picnic shelters are popular!
Trails
Lake Padden Park is a great destination for family time.The wide, gravel trail around the lake is so much fun and one of the prettiest walks anywhere. You’ll encounter joggers, serious runners, horses, bikers, and walkers. But it never feels crowded! Just 2.6 miles around and a mere 100 feet in elevation gain, the trail is flat on the north side with a few hills on the, well, hilly side! Find lots of info here on parking to access all trails and a trail map.
Besides the fact that it’s a great family walk, plain and simple, the main trail is a beautiful walk, especially through the gentle hills and woods on the south side, with fir cones occasionally bouncing down and birds flitting from tree to tree. It smells terrific among the trees especially after a windstorm when fir branches are scattered about! There are a few easy hills—the little ones will have to get off their bikes once or twice—but otherwise, the lake trail is a great place to get a feeling of the Northwest woods while only a few minutes’ drive puts you within reach of the conveniences of Haggen, REI, and Starbucks! Sweet!
Speaking of REI, here’s a great resource for kids’ bike rides in Bellingham, one of which is at Lake Padden.
All the trails in the park have trail markers and if your family is ready to explore, there are loops upon loops off the beaten path. If you and your teens are skilled mountain bikers, these are fun trails to try on your bikes. Otherwise, sling on the binoculars and hefty shoes for hiking, and take the family on a new trail. You can access some pretty trails right into the hills from a Samish Way parking lot east of Yew St. and across from Galbraith Lane.
The trails are ready-made for earth science lessons. You can see the cycles of layering of organic matter firsthand as it piles up in the woods, or walk right on fir branches, cones, and needles on the trails, pointing out how they’ll become next year’s dirt. Old stumps sprout new growth, thick moss grows on the trees, ferns sprout from fallen “nurse logs.” You can even get a little math lesson in by using the trail markers asking your kids to try to figure out how far you’ve hiked.
Fishing dock at Lake Padden.Fishing
The lake is stocked with rainbow, kokanee, and cutthroat trout every year in mid-April and the majority of the shoreline is easily accessible, making it a great place to sink a line. The season opener is always the last Saturday of April and if you and your kids love to fish, this is the place to start—but start early! Since it’s easy to get to and easy to find a spot along the shore, it gets crowded fast. Anyone can fish as long as you have a license, although kids 14 and younger don’t need them; fifteen-year-olds need to buy a youth license, which costs less than $10. You can easily walk around the entire lake to find a quiet spot to settle in and wait for a nibble, but there’s also an easily accessible boat launch (no motors). The fishing season ends the last Saturday of October.
There are several docks on the lake—one by the boat launch on the north side, a swimming or fishing dock with benches also on the north side, and a fishing dock close to the Padden Creek outlet on the southwest side. They’re great for fishing, for popping out over the water, either to jump in for a swim, or just for a closer look at the depths or at the ducks.
And yes, the mallards love old bread. Most people feed the ducks on the north side, close to the playground and the ball fields.
Fun and Serious Play
The kids’ playground was newly refurbished in 2007 with a one-level play area holding a simple jungle-gym, slides, and swings—all with a soft landing of wood chips. It’s great for a stop-over during a family walk around the lake or as a destination all on its own. The playground is wheelchair accessible from the parking, above, via a paved ramp.
Kids enjoy the recently refurbished playground.The ball fields, right by the playground and picnic shelters, are set up for baseball but are expansive enough to be used for informal soccer matches, Frisbee, impromptu kickball games, or a round of Ultimate (which resembles soccer and football, but played with a Frisbee). City leagues have softball games through the summer and all play yields to their schedule. Check for ongoing times of games and if you’d like to sign up for a team.
There are two tennis courts at the northwestern entrance to the park. First come, first serve…literally! While you’ll rarely encounter a waiting line, the courts are well-used. They have a very private feel, tucked above the western end of the lake. It’s a great place for families to play together.
Lake Padden Golf Course is considered one of the best municipal golf courses in the state. The setting is beautiful with natural hills and wooded roughs, and it’s reasonably priced, so easy to take the family. This is a great place for your teen to play golf (kids 10 and younger not allowed on the greens).
Dogs
In 2007, Cascadia Weekly readers voted Lake Padden the best place to take your dog. And it is! You have to keep your dog on a leash on the lake trail, but they can run free on the back trails. There’s also a fenced dog off-leash area by the ball fields “at the end of the road.” It’s a huge area and always busy with dogs of all sizes.
Horses
Love horses? If so, Lake Padden Park’s “back” trails are somewhat rugged, but suited for short or long rides in the woods. There are several places to access the bridle trails (which are shared with runners and bikers) without even bothering with the lake trail. Here’s an excellent place for kids to learn trail riding—gentle and quiet, yet challenging too. In fact, trails are marked with “yield signs” for bikers, hikers, and horses. All yield to horses, but keep your ears perked up when on the back trails—other horses can surprise you coming around a bend, bikers can sometimes move fast, and runners can appear from nowhere.
Walkers, runners, bikers, and animals share the trails around Lake Padden Park.Wildlife
Lake Padden Park has lots of wildlife hidden in its hills, if you know when and where to look. The trees are obvious places to look for birds. If you head up the trail from the ball fields, watch for pileated woodpeckers….rather, listen for them. Their loud tapping is unmistakable! And if you don’t happen to spot them, look for evidence of them anyway. There are quite a few trees on that short stretch of trail (about .6 mi from the lake to the power lines) that have big rectangular patches where the bark has been shredded away by the woodpecker. If the activity is recent, there will be shreds of old wood below the rectangles and usually several trees close together sport those badges. Keep your eyes up as you follow this little trail!
You might also see coyotes along this stretch. They’ve been spotted regularly here. But they’re solitary sorts and pretty shy—you may just see what appears to be a skinny dog with a bottle-brush-shaped tail loping away into the woods. At dusk, you might see barred owls if you keep your eyes looking into the branches. And in the spring, it’s a great time to look for robin’s eggshells on the paths. Downy woodpeckers also nest here—listen for their quieter tree tapping in the spring. And there are several bald eagles that nest in the park—sometimes you’ll see them swooping toward the lake. If you’re lucky, in the springtime, they’ll nab a fish before your eyes! Before heading to the park, get a guide for bird-watching in Bellingham parks.
Annual Events at Lake Padden Park
There are tons of things going on at the park—some are best for family spectators, others are for kids to participate.
Ski to Sea Junior Race
This event is tops for kids because it’s all about kids. The Ski to Sea Junior Race is the kids’ equivalent of the adults’ annual Ski to Sea race, which starts at the Mt. Baker Ski Area and ends, through 7 legs, in Fairhaven. The Junior Race is always run the weekend before the adults’ race, in mid- to late May (check the Ski to Sea website every year). The kids’ race consists of relay teams (from local elementary and middle schools) that complete the following legs: running, three-legged race, bike, soccer, and an obstacle course. The races last from 8 am to 4 pm and with teams of all-boys, all-girls, and mixed participating. Competition is fierce but all in fun. It’s a great way to have fun and learn to work with a team toward the same goal.
Lake Padden Relay
Held in late August (in 2008 on Aug. 30) by the Greater Bellingham Running Club. This race consists of four 2.6-mi. laps around the lake by a team of four. Teams can consist of average age 12 and younger or 13 and older.
Resolution Walk/Run & Padden Polar Dip
This Celebrate Bellingham event on New Year’s Day is free and open for all ages. There are five-year divisions for kids 18 and younger. The run around the lake trail starts at 11 and the polar dip is at noon. Bellingham Parks and Recreation recommends that parents with kids 10 and younger consult a physician before entering the water. There are warm showers afterwards and great snacks.
Lake Padden Triathlon
The Lake Padden Triathlon is great for all ages and a fantastic way for a family to participate in a fun competition that challenges various skills. The Triathlon—swim, bike, run—is held in late June and you and your kids can participate in the competitive race or the shorter recreational race. There are five-year divisions for 18 years and younger.
The following events are for adults only but are great for watching.
Further Information
Lake Padden Park
4882 Samish Way
Bellingham, WA 98229