If you can see Mt. Baker, you are part of The Experience
After years rotting away as a watery, derelict ruin, Little Squalicum Pier is open to the public for the first time since its construction more than a century ago.
The 1,248 foot pier was built in 1912 to deliver cement products to offshore barges, hasn’t been used since the 1980s, and was transferred to the city of Bellingham in 2021, according to a press release from Bellingham Parks and Recreation.
“You can’t look at the pier without wondering what it’s like to be out there,” parks and recreation director Nicole Oliver said. “Now, anyone can experience Bellingham Bay from a new perspective.”
That new perspective is truly unique, with the pier earning the title of longest public pier in Washington state. On a clear day from the edge of the pier, you have unobstructed, 360-degree views of the San Juans, Lummi Island, all of coastal Bellingham and Fairhaven, and even Mt. Baker peaking over the foothills.
Funding for the extensive renovations of the pier totaled $1.6 million, provided by the city’s Greenways Levy, a tax used specifically to create and update new and existing trails to connect neighborhoods across Bellingham.
One of the ultimate goals of the Greenway Levy is to create an uninterrupted Bay to Baker Trail, a foot and bike trail from Bellingham Bay to Mt. Baker. The city of Bellingham has been slowly purchasing private and state-owned property along the proposed route, including a recent purchase of 116 acres of land along Mt. Baker Highway from the state Department of Natural Resources for $2.19 million in 2024.
Little Squalicum Pier is the official starting point of the trail, with the trail heading northeast to Squalicum Creek Park, then north to Cornwall Park.
Gaps still exist in Bay to Baker Trail, but Little Squalicum Pier is truly a stunning start to what will – one day – be a world class urban trail.
“Bellingham is a unique place, and this is another amenity that sets us apart,” Mayor Kim Lund said during the April unveiling ceremony. “As we did with Taylor Dock, we are helping to transform our waterfront from a place with an industrial past into a vibrant hub for recreation and wildlife.” X
