A hidden gem in Bellingham park is set to open after two years

Robert Mittendorf

One of Bellingham’s hidden gems could be open to the public again soon, as the city of Bellingham has repaired the tunnel in Sehome Hill Arboretum.

Falling rocks in July 2020 forced the Parks and Recreation Department to close the tunnel, which has been a curiosity of sorts in the park.

“Contractors will be performing rockfall mitigation on the Sehome tunnel, to reopen the tunnel for use,” according to the Parks and Recreation Department’s social media accounts.

Nicole Oliver, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, told The Bellingham Herald that there’s no continuing risk of collapse.

“Our geo-engineers felt confident in current condition, but we plan to do ongoing maintenance and inspection to ensure things remain stable,” Oliver said.

The trail through the tunnel should be reopened by the week of Oct. 17, after the contractor finishes some erosion-control work, she said.

Developed in 1974, the 176-acre forested park on Sehome Hill features six miles of hiking trails and connects to the citywide Greenways system.

Cars drive through the Sehome Hill tunnel in the 1920s in Bellingham. The tunnel is now part of the 176-acre forested park on Sehome Hill that was developed in 1974 and features six miles of hiking trails and connects to the citywide Greenways system.
Cars drive through the Sehome Hill tunnel in the 1920s in Bellingham. The tunnel is now part of the 176-acre forested park on Sehome Hill that was developed in 1974 and features six miles of hiking trails and connects to the citywide Greenways system.
A tunnel bored through rock in the 1920s was once part of a road on Sehome Hill in Bellingham and now is part of a walking path within Sehome Hill Arboretum.
A tunnel bored through rock in the 1920s was once part of a road on Sehome Hill in Bellingham and now is part of a walking path within Sehome Hill Arboretum.

It also features an 80-foot observation tower that offers a glimpse of the cityscape and Bellingham Bay.

Sehome Hill was logged into the 1900s and the tunnel was cut by hand through a sandstone outcropping to accommodate cars in 1923, according to previous Bellingham Herald reporting.

Cars and bikes are not allowed on the trails.

Parking is available on the south side of the park, near Bill McDonald Parkway and 25th Street.

Trails extend to Western Washington University near Fairhaven College dorms, at Jersey and Myrtle streets, and on Allen Street near 32nd Street.

Public parking is limited during the project, and trail closures are possible through Friday, Oct. 14.

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