Oyster Dome by Blanchard Hill perches over Samish Bay on Chuckanut Mountain. The area is part of Blanchard State Forest south of Larrabee State Park. Meanwhile, the City of Bellingham lies to the north by Lake Whatcom.
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Oyster Dome at a Glance
Access: Chuckanut Drive (trail map)
Round Trip: 9.3 miles
Elevation Range: 200′-2300′
Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT)
We stayed west of the Cascades as more snow was in the forecast. Then we resorted to another of our Puget Sound area off-season go-to places. Two cars were also on Chuckanut Drive when we arrived; another pulled in as we started hiking.
The dry yet steep trail moved through the long switchbacks before easing by Samish Overlook. Snow appeared beyond there but no more than a quarter-inch thick. Then the next huff-and-puff area was beyond the bench overlook, a scenic spot for a breather.
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The Final Stretch
As we gained altitude, the temperature dropped, and parts of the trail turned icy. Microspikes would’ve helped, but the ice was manageable with extra attention. The pup and I met a family of four as they exited, and I briefly chatted with one of them.
Trail dropped slightly in the intermittent stream gully before rising again. There were a few more steep places but enough switchbacks to offset the altitude gain. The last water crossing was right below the overlook above the cliffs.
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Oyster Dome Views of Puget Sound Islands
Like our previous trips, the vast views of Puget Sound islands were rewarding. After a quiet half-hour stay, we left the empty overlook and went down. Then I decided to visit Lily Lake back on the trail fork.
From the south shore, we took the connector trail on the west. Then we walked up to North Butte for a slightly different view of the sound. Back on the path, we continued north before descending to see Lizard Lake, nearly twice the size of Lilly Lake.
After a short lunch break by the lake, we retraced our steps to Lily Lake. Then we looped clockwise around the water to hike out.
See more trip photos here.