Have you visited the arboretum lately?
Summer is a great time to visit the Sehome Hill Arboretum, the 180-acre park located just behind Western Washington University's campus.
A class at Western has taken on care of the park, which is jointly managed by Western and the City of Bellingham via an interlocal agreement. Students in the Outdoor Science Learning Resources (GEOL 497) class maintain trails by clearing debris, removing invasive species and keeping trails walkable and at appropriate widths. Students also control graffiti in the park and monitor drainage issues. For more information about the class, visit http://www.wwu.edu/share/.
A map of the 5-plus miles of walkable trails is available online, as is a list of special features that are worth your attention:
- Quiet Rocks: Nestled between two portions of Huntoon Trail, just below the watch tower at the top of the hill is the Quiet Rocks area. Whether it’s just for a moment, or for an entire afternoon, this is a great location to sit and enjoy the sounds of the nature surrounding you, under a canopy of deciduous trees.
- Outdoor Classroom: Multiple benches facing a front platform comprise the Outdoor Classroom which can be found right on Huntoon Trail. Classes can often be found taking advantage of the rich natural resources available here to aid in teaching. What’s better than learning about nature in a natural setting? Bring a lunch, friends and good conversation here and enjoy the arboretum, even if it’s just for a short escape from the fast pace of campus life (just don’t forget to pack out your trash).
- Watch Tower: Standing tall atop Sehome Hill is the Watch Tower. Visitors can climb to the top and take in the view of the greater Bellingham area and bay as well as enjoying the sounds of nature. Almost any trail will connect you to a passage to the tower. It’s a must see.
- The Old Quarry, Geologic Outcrop & Landslide: Looking up from the Outdoor Classroom you can see where there was once a quarry on the hill. Go to the History section of the website for more information about the Quarry. A short walk beyond this, you can find a Geologic outcrop showing stratification of the sedimentary rock underlying the vegetation. If you’d like to learn more about the outcrop, visit the Geology section of this website.
- Vertical Rock Walls: Just off of the Doug Fir Trail can be found vertical wall faces showing the underlying geology of Sehome Hill. Taking a closer look can reveal some interesting finds such as tilted graded bedding and stratification.
