Bellingham Parks & Recreation Leisure Guide
Issue link: https://bpr.uberflip.com/i/561491
A message from the Director of Bellingham Parks and Recreation NEW WATERFRONT TRAIL NOW OPEN! We are excited to announce the completion of the first phase of the ASB Trail, a new trail located on G Street at the head of the I & J Waterway on Bellingham's waterfront. This is our newest amenity and it is the perfect place to catch spectacular views of the sunset over Bellingham Bay. ASB stands for Aeration Stabilization Basin, which is a breakwater formerly owned by Georgia Pacific. You might recognize it as the area from which the annual 4th of July fireworks display is launched over Bellingham Bay. The new trail starts at Bellwether Way near the Coast Guard Station and runs southeast by the end of the I & J Waterway, then crosses Hilton Avenue where you will find a new gravel parking lot and then runs halfway around the ASB pond. Be sure to pause to read the new interpretive signs and enjoy the newly accessible beach. Eventually we intend to open the trail all the way around the ASB, creating a loop. This is the first public access project to be developed as part of our joint effort with the Port of Bellingham to redevelop 237-acres of Bellingham's central waterfront. We have a large amount of environmental cleanup to complete, but eventually, we anticipate 33 acres of new parks and trails to be built over the next several decades as the waterfront area is gradually transitioned into a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood including residential, commercial and industrial uses. I hope you'll get out and experience this new trail! James King, Director of Bellingham Parks & Recreation