Palm Trees in Washington?
Fifty million years ago during the Eocene period, in a time before the Cascades Mt. Range was formed, a giant swampy flood plain covered from southern Canada to where Everett, Washington sits today. Over time layers of sediment collected in this expansive riverbank basin creating the Chuckanut Rock Formation, some of the most diverse shoreline to be explored by kayak today. One of the easiest paddles to sample the honeycomb walls of golden rock, diverse bird life and magical sunsets starts from Larabee State Park in Whatcom County. After time has been taken to orientate you with our guide, the kayaking equipment and our destination, we launch our kayaks and paddle just over 3 miles to the northern tip of Chuckanut Bay. Here, imbedded in the Chuckanut sandstone, fossilized palm tree trunks can be seen. After exploring Chuckanut Bay's dramatic coast line it's time for the return paddle to Larabee State Park.
Location: Larabee State Park, Whatcom County, Washington. Approximately 7 miles south of Bellingham.
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Evening Paddles: 6pm-9pm
Itinerary:
6:00-6:30 pm meet at Larabee State Park, sign liability waivers, assign equipment and safety talk
6:30-7:45 paddle north to Chuckanut Bay
7:45-8:00 check out fossilized Palm Trees
8:00-9:00 return Paddle to Larabee State Park
For a
Trip Packet, including driving directions and a packing list down load this PDF File.
