Birch Bay State Park

Birch Bay State Park: Nearly Two Miles of Beach Near Blaine

Birch Bay State Park sits on a wide, shallow cove between Bellingham and Blaine, where the tide pulls back across nearly two miles of beach and the views run out to the Canadian Gulf Islands and the Cascades. It is one of the few Washington state parks with both saltwater and freshwater shoreline: 8,255 feet on Birch Bay and 14,923 feet on Terrell Creek, spread across 664 acres. The Terrell Creek Marsh at its center is one of the few remaining saltwater and freshwater estuaries in north Puget Sound, and 167 campsites sit in the forest behind the beach.

Birch Bay State Park Fast Facts

Park Overview

Birch Bay is shallow, and that shapes everything about a visit. When the tide goes out, the bay drains across a broad flat of sand and shell, and the water that returns over that sun warmed flat is why Birch Bay has a reputation for some of the milder saltwater swimming in the Pacific Northwest. Mild is relative here: think refreshing on a hot August afternoon, not tropical. The park is also rich in archaeological significance, a reminder that people gathered on this shoreline long before there was a campground.

Behind the beach, the park turns quiet and green. Terrell Creek winds through marsh and forest on its way to the bay, the north end of the park is a natural game sanctuary, and the Terrell Marsh Trail makes a half mile loop through the wetland. The campground’s North and South loops sit under the trees across Birch Bay Drive from the day use area, a short walk from the sand.

Activities & Recreation

Crabbing and clamming are what most families come for. Both need a Washington shellfish license, and seasons, limits and beach status change through the year, so check the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife rules and the Department of Health shellfish safety map before you drop a ring or dig. On calm summer days the cove fills with swimmers, paddlers and windsurfers, while bird watchers head for the marsh and the quieter north end.

Facilities & Amenities

The day use area runs along the beach with 8 sheltered and 120 unsheltered picnic tables, 6 fire circles and a day use shelter you can reserve through 888 CAMPOUT. The park also has a half size basketball court, an amphitheater, 8 restrooms (3 ADA accessible) with 16 showers, a trailer dump station and a boat launch at the south end near Terrell Creek. The BP Heron Center, a log cabin hall on the beachfront, holds more than 100 guests inside and more than 150 on the covered patio and grounds. It rents year round for weddings, retreats, parties and educational programs; call (360) 371-2800 or email birch.bay@parks.wa.gov. In summer, the Sugar Shack ice cream truck has long been a campground tradition on its evening loops through the park.

Camping & Accommodations

Birch Bay has 147 standard campsites and 20 partial hookup sites in a forested camping area split into two loops. North Campground holds sites 1 to 74, and its interior sites are the partial hookup sites; South Campground holds sites 75 to 166. The park brochure lists the hookup sites for RVs up to 40 feet, while Washington State Parks lists a 60 foot maximum for the park, so match your rig to the site length when you book. Groups have a primitive group camp for up to 40 people and group camps built from five standard sites each.

See how Birch Bay State Park compares to the rest of Washington’s campgrounds

Check in is 2:30 p.m. and check out is 1 p.m. Each site allows one camping party of up to eight people, and an extra vehicle costs $10 a night in the designated area. From Sept. 16 to May 14, camping is first come, first served in the North Loop, sites 1 to 38, and water may be shut off during winterization.

Planning Your Visit

The park is open 6:30 a.m. to dusk in summer and 8 a.m. to dusk in winter, and a Discover Pass is required to park. Reserve campsites and the day use shelter online at parks.wa.gov or by calling 888 CAMPOUT, and book early for summer weekends. The park is about 10 miles south of Blaine, near the Canadian border, and about 20 miles north of Bellingham; from I-5, follow the signs west toward Birch Bay; the entrance is on Helweg Road. Current alerts, including burn bans, are posted on this page and on the park’s State Parks page. Quiet hours run 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., generators may run only from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and pets must be on a leash at all times.

What to Bring & Know

• Crab rings or pots, bait, a measuring gauge, your shellfish license and a catch record card
• A clam shovel and bucket, plus a look at the beach status before you dig
• Water shoes for the tide flat, which is wide, shelly and soft in spots
• Binoculars for the marsh and the game sanctuary at the north end
• A Discover Pass for day use parking; registered campers do not need one for the vehicle on their site
• Firewood bought outside the park, since gathering wood on state park land is prohibited

The park’s own brochure names two nearby state parks: Peace Arch and Larrabee. For more, see our Washington state parks guide, or plan the rest of your trip with our Bellingham guide.

Final Word

Birch Bay State Park is at its best on a low summer tide: crab rings out, kids on the flat, the Gulf Islands on the horizon, and a campsite in the trees waiting at the end of the day.