Waterfall Hikes in the Rainforest in Bellingham, WA

The coastal city of Bellingham, Washington, is inundated with rain that rolls off the Pacific Ocean. The city receives 35 inches of rain per year on average and, in some years, has the least amount of sunshine of any city in the United States. However, this wet, mild coastal climate is the perfect environment for the proliferation of gorgeous rainforests.

Thanks to the mild temperatures and constant rain, the trees grow tall and strong, towering hundreds of feet overhead. The understory is filled with bright green ferns and a layer of moss covering most everything else. Peaking through the moss you'll find bright patches of wildflowers adding a dappling of color to the green room.

Along with the damp, beautiful forests, it seems like there's water everywhere: water in the ocean, water in massive Whatcom Lake, water flowing in the streams and rivers, and where those streams and rivers cascade off of cliffs—waterfalls.

In this guidebook, you'll find enjoy a fantastic roundup of 4 easy hikes to stunning waterfalls located right in or directly adjacent to Bellingham. In fact, one of the most stupendous falls is one of the easiest to reach, and it's found in the heart of a city park: Whatcom Falls. Others, like Chuckanut Falls, require a few more miles of hiking to reach but are again accessible directly from the outskirts of the city.

It's rare to find so many waterfalls that are so conveniently accessible from a city of 100,000, but you'll find all that and so much more when you visit Bellingham!