The Samish Way entrance to Lake Padden Park will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, July 8 and 9, while a paving contractor removes and replaces asphalt on the park roadway and a section of the adjacent parking lot. The rest of the park stays fully open throughout the project, with trails, the dog park, golf course, boat launch, and other amenities accessible through alternative entrances.
What Is Closing and for How Long
The temporary closure affects the park roadway and a parking lot section directly off Samish Way, which serves as the main western gateway to Lake Padden Park. The Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department brought in a paving contractor for asphalt removal on Wednesday and replacement on Thursday.
Work is weather-dependent -- asphalt placement and compaction require dry conditions and temperatures above roughly 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Bellingham's forecast for Wednesday and Thursday calls for mild, dry weather, making the project timeline achievable. The department will update its social media if conditions change and the schedule shifts.
The closure does not affect other parking areas in the park or the Wilkin Street entrance on the park's eastern side. Visitors can reach the dog park, golf course, tennis courts, playground, restrooms, boat launch, and all trails using those alternative access points throughout the two-day project.
About Lake Padden Park
Lake Padden Park is one of the most heavily used parks in Bellingham and Whatcom County. The park encompasses 1,054 acres surrounding the 152-acre Lake Padden, a natural glacially carved lake that sits in a forested bowl between Samish Way and Interstate 5 on Bellingham's south side.
The 2.6-mile loop trail around the lake is among the most popular walking and running routes in the region, drawing hundreds of users on weekday mornings and well over a thousand on summer weekends. The park also hosts an 18-hole disc golf course, a regulation golf course operated by the city, an off-leash dog park, a boat launch ramp for non-motorized watercraft, and multiple trailheads connecting to the Galbraith Mountain trail network.
The Samish Way entrance handles a significant share of the park's vehicle traffic, particularly for visitors heading to the boat launch area, the golf course, and the main trailhead parking lot. The temporary closure means those visitors will need to use the Wilkin Street entrance or other Samish Way parking areas that fall outside the paving zone.
Why the Work Is Needed
Asphalt parking surfaces at parks require periodic repair and replacement. Bellingham's climate -- with approximately 150 frost days per year and significant winter rainfall -- accelerates the breakdown of pavement through freeze-thaw cycling and water infiltration. Heavy recreational traffic compounds the wear, particularly at boat launch parking areas where trailer-towing vehicles place additional stress on the surface.
The current paving project is the second phase of work at Lake Padden this season. The Wilkin Street entrance and adjacent parking were closed briefly in late June for earlier asphalt work. Completing the Samish Way phase this week finishes the renovation of the park's primary parking infrastructure for the 2026 season.
The Parks and Recreation Department maintains a capital improvement program that cycles through park infrastructure maintenance across all of Bellingham's parks on a multi-year schedule. Lake Padden is one of the highest-priority sites given its volume of use.
Getting There During the Closure
Visitors planning to use Lake Padden Park Wednesday or Thursday should route to the Wilkin Street entrance on the park's east side. From central Bellingham, take Interstate 5 to Exit 252, follow Samish Way east, and turn left on Wilkin Street. The entrance provides access to the loop trail, restrooms, and the boat launch from the eastern side of the lake.
Cyclists and pedestrians using the Interurban Trail, which connects to the Lake Padden trail network, are not affected by the vehicle closure -- trail access points are independent of the parking area under construction.
For the most current closure status and updates, the Bellingham Parks Facebook page posts timely notices, or residents can call the Parks office at 360-778-7000.
What Remains Open
Throughout the Wednesday and Thursday closure, the following remain fully open and accessible: the 2.6-mile lake loop trail and connecting trails, the off-leash dog park, the 18-hole golf course, the disc golf course, tennis courts, playground, restrooms at multiple locations, and the non-motorized boat launch ramp.
Parking for the dog park specifically may feel more limited during the closure, as the Samish Way lot nearest the dog park entrance is within the construction zone. Dog park visitors are encouraged to arrive early, use the Wilkin Street lot, or walk from nearby Samish Way parking on streets adjacent to the park boundary.
