Join the Mount Baker Sierra Club for a hike up to the Oyster Dome Overlook, which offers one of the area's most spectacular views of Samish Bay! If it's a clear day, we can expect a scenic panorama of the San Juan Islands with the Olympic Mountains visible in the distance. Even on cloudy days this is a beautiful trail through Mount Blanchard's second-growth legacy forest. Well behaved dogs are welcome.This is an approximately 6.5-mile round trip, out-and-back trail that involves almost 1,800 feet of elevation gain and is rated by All Trails as challenging. We'll take our time getting to the top, stopping to look at interesting plants and animals and pausing for a discussion or two about the impacts of past and present logging. Be sure to bring sturdy hiking shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, a packed lunch, and plenty of water (see recommendations for the 10 Essentials of hiking here).
We will be accessing Oyster Dome via the Lilly Lizard Trail and Lilly Lake Trail, starting from the Upper Blanchard parking area. There is no toilet at the Upper Blanchard, but the Lower Blanchard parking area (which you'll pass on the drive up) has a single-stall pit toilet. There is no potable running water access along the trail or at the trailhead, and we will have to pack out any waste. We'll be following Leave No Trace principles on this hike.
Please note you will need a Discover Pass to park.
Sierra Club cannot organize or assume liability for carpools. However, those wishing to self-organize carpools are encouraged to meet at the South Bellingham Park & Ride at 9:30am.Although 4pm is the estimated finish time, we could finish slightly earlier or later--so best not to make plans that depend on being done at exactly that time. This qualifies as a backcountry hike, and all participants will be required to sign a liability waiver and fill out a medical form. Directions: From Bellingham, follow I-5 south and take the Lake Samish Road exit near Alger. Follow Lake Samish Road a very short ways, then turn left onto Barrel Springs Road. Turn right on 5 Mile Blanchard Hill Road, and continue past the Lower Blanchard parking area until you get to the Upper Blanchard lot.
See directions here. A Discover Pass is required for parking at the trailhead.
COVID-19 - No vaccine or tests are required for this outing. You may be walking with people who are vaccinated and unvaccinated. You are welcome to wear a mask if it makes you comfortable. Please stay home if you are sick or experiencing any COVID symptoms.
Waiver - All participants in Sierra Club activities are required to sign a standard Participation Agreement when rsvping or at the trailhead. You can review the agreement form at the trailhead or
here. Medical - If you have any medical issues you feel the leaders should know about, you must inform them before the start of the trip. You will be required to fill out a medical form (emergency contact, allergies, medications, and general medical history) available
here, and are strongly encouraged to email it to the trip leader prior to the hike. Your medical information will be referred to or passed along to emergency responders if you have a medical emergency during the walk. It is a good idea to keep a copy in your pack.
