Mountain Biking in Bellingham, WA

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Lizzie Lau

Adults and kids can expect to have a great time mountain biking in Bellingham, so if you’re planning a visit to the PNW, pack your biking gear!

Gailbrath Mountain / Photo by: Brandon Sawaya / Credit: Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism

Kids of all ages can safely ride the well maintained trails that wind through the city. Bellinghamsters (yeah, that’s a thing LOL) are proud to live in Washington State’s top mountain bike destination. Visitors to the area are encouraged to take advantage of the world-class mountain trails within riding distance of downtown.

Parents should get out and have a recon ride – to be certain that your kids will be comfortable on the trails.

Galbraith Mountain located east of Bellingham between Lake Padden and Lake Whatcom offers 65 miles of trails maintained by Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition on 2,800 acres. It is approximately 1/8 the size of Bellingham, reaching an elevation of 1,785 feet. The land is owned by Galbraith Tree Farm LLC.

Recreational use on Galbraith Mountain was secured in August 2018 with easements purchased by the City of Bellingham and Whatcom Land Trust. The total area of the easement is 2,182 acres, with 1,023 of those acres inside the Lake Whatcom watershed. Expanded parking and restroom facilities are now in development to improve access to Galbraith trails.

The acquisition adjoins 4,250 acres of public land on Lookout Mountain managed by Whatcom County Parks with more than 45 miles of trail planned for development over the next decade.

For the 6th year in a row, Singletracks.com has named Galbraith Mountain in Bellingham, WA the most popular mountain biking location in Washington State on its 2019 rankings for the United States and Canada. Five of the top six Most Popular Washington State Mountain Biking Trails on Trailforks.com are also Galbraith Mountain trails including: Atomic Dog, Unemployment Line, Evolution, Cedar Dust and Ridge Trail.

Bellingham.org press release

Bellingham is well known as a popular hub for mountain biking in the PNW. The area boasts 13 bike shops, 3 national bike manufacturers (Transition, Kona and EVIL Bikes), and 4 custom bike fabricators (Lost Bikes, Donkelope Bikes, Rebula MTB and Morris Custom Cycles).

For more details about mountain biking in Bellingham visit BasecampBellingham.org.

Check out this post if you’re looking for more fun things to do during your visit to Bellingham.

Mountain Biking in Bellingham, WA

17 thoughts on “Mountain Biking in Bellingham, WA”

    • I haven’t ridden in ages either. I love slow leisurely rides and wouldn’t shake a stick at some beautiful scenery

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