Mountain Biking in Bellingham, WA

Galbraith Mountain is Bellingham’s mountain biking mecca, an ever-changing labyrinth with more than 100 trails. The south side is the downhill playground, while the north side offers classic cross-country mountain biking. On Galbraith, bikers are rewarded with views of the water and the San Juan Islands. This is a hotspot for runners too, so be on the lookout for others enjoying the trails. Because Galbraith can be maze-like, it’s strongly recommended to bring a current detailed map, which you can find at Kulshan or Fanatik bike shops.

For a trail that has it all—uphill workout, downhill fun, great views—check out the Lost Lake Mountain Bike Loop. Start at Chuckanut Trailhead and you’ll get a good 2.5-mile warm up on the flat terrain of the Interurban Trail before making a 3-mile climb and enjoying the downhill ride toward Lost Lake. On the way back, consider detouring to Salal Trail, a singletrack downhill technical trail with big rocks and shady trees.