Since Oyster Dome is trending this weekend on the website, I will pop this little gem out to remind everyone that you don’t want to be that person parking dangerously on Chuckanut Drive.
In January, just a few days before I broke myself, I took the drive up to the Chuckanuts for a short hike to Fragrance Lake. It promised to be a busy day and I rarely enter on the west side of the mountain anymore so I was not sure what to expect parking wise.
The small area at the Fragrance Lake trailhead was full so I just parked across the street at Larabee State Park (tons of parking and a bathroom) and carefully crossed the road.
It has been so long that I accessed the lake from here that I forgot about how it crosses the Interurban multi-use trail that runs from Fairhaven to Larabee in the beginning before continuing on up 1.8 miles more to the lake.
Today, I was observant of how the wind that comes from the Pacific Ocean affects the tall pines that grow on the west side, whether they stay upright and bent or finally fall with a rumble to the forest floor.
Opting to do the Salish Sea viewpoint on the return trip, it was less than an hour before I was standing at the shore of Fragrance Lake. For being a holiday and already 12:30pm, the crowds were horrible.
This reflection view never gets old.
I did notice someone decided to stock the lake with some extra fish.
Leaving the lakeshore, I walked the .6 miles around the dumbbell shaped body of water, observing a few more trees that didn’t survive winter’s fury. This one might be a little older as the bridge has been repaired.
This one looked pretty fresh.
Where the trail intersects with the Two Dollar Trail, I observed the sandstone cliffs of the Chuckanut Formation, similar to those on nearby Rock Trail.
It didn’t take long to drop back down from the lake and have a quick stop at the viewpoint as the crowds picked up.
The San Juan and Vancouver Islands were rugged blue layers on the horizon and the water was rippled with an afternoon breeze.
It was about 2:30pm when I was driving south on Chuckanut Drive and was preparing myself for the gauntlet that the scenic road becomes when Oyster Dome is teeming with hikers. The cars were lining the road before I even passed the trailhead for Oyster Dome, several on or across the white line. At least one had a nice crunch on its rear fender.
You can see there really is only room here by the trailhead for a handful of cars before there is not enough space inside the white line to park safely. Even if one parks within the white line, they now have to walk in the road to the trailhead. God forbid a cyclist is attempting to ride along the road.
“But the person behind me was parked just like this…”
You can see from the picture above and below how far across the double yellow someone has to go to avoid this vehicle that clearly could have (was designed to be) parked all the way off the road. Pretty sure they park these cattywampus at the dealerships for a reason.
Be a safe and courteous hiker and learn more about the hikes that you are going out for and nearby alternatives so you don’t have to be that person. This also means having the appropriate parking permit so that you can access alternatives if needed. In this case, the Discover Pass would be the one to have. Hiking earlier or later in the day can also help.
Here are a few other entrance points for Oyster Dome. For the those up for a longer hike (or maybe a hike/bike combo), Oyster Dome can be accessed from as far as Bellingham proximity trailheads and the Pacific Northwest Trail so use an app like Caltopo and plot your own adventure!
- Samish Overlook (small parking lot)
- Lizard, Lily Lakes, Alternate Incline (huge parking lot and the access can also include North Butte which is a great alternative to Oyster Dome)
- Fragrance Lake (Larabee State Park)
- Chuckanut Mountain Park
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I love all the pretty forest views, but the one out toward the San Juan and Vancouver Islands is really amazing!