Chuckanut Drive reopens 2 months after rock slide

Chuckanut Drive has finally reopened after a major rock slide closed a section of the historic road April 22.

Without Chuckanut Drive, biking south from Bellingham to Skagit Valley communities or the Anacortes ferry is much longer, more difficult and less pleasant. Chuckanut is a wonderful historic road along the hillside above Bellingham and Samish Bays. Though it has an inadequate shoulder that sometimes disappears completely, it is still a lovely ride.

Though the closure these past two months has been worst for locals who rely on the road, it has also impacted folks looking for bike adventures. For example, I highly recommend taking your bike on a morning train to Fairhaven, then biking down Chuckanut Drive for lunch in Edison before continuing on to the Anacortes Ferry to the San Juan Islands. You could bring camping gear and take the ferry to Lopez Island for a camping trip at Spencer Spit or go sans camping gear and take the ferry to Friday Harbor. Or if you're just making a day of it, bike through Skagit Valley to Mount Vernon and take the train back. Really, there are a ton of options for great bike adventures: Biking to Deception Pass and continuing across Whidbey Island, for example, or heading to Friday Harbor and then onto Vancouver Island, perhaps then catching the Black Ball in Victoria to Port Angeles. Our region has so many amazing bike adventure options, you could easily fill all your open summer days just biking around.

I'm sure this closure has been very tough on businesses in the area, so that's all the more reason to plan a trip and stop in to some shops and restaurants along the way.