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Youth & Families at Lake Padden

Youth Day Work Party

Sat Nov 1, 2025: 9:00 AM — 3:00 PM

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Region

Puget Sound and Islands — Bellingham Area

Crew Leader: Kesia "Lee" Lee

Photo by Cinema104.

Overview

Youth age 10+ and their families are invited to join WTA for a fun day together on trail! at Whatcom Falls Park! Youth participants 14-18 may attend on their own. Ages 10-13 must be accompanied by an adult.

Solo adults showing up for a Youth & Families day work party (even when registered in advance) are not eligible to attend the event, and will be asked to leave by the Crew Leader.

About the Area

This park outside the city of Bellingham has 65 miles of trails and is popular with hikers and mountain bikers. This vast network of trails sits between Lake Samish and Lake Whatcom and borders the Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve. From the high points in the park, visitors can get views of Mount Baker, Bellingham and surrounding area and other peaks. 

What to Expect

We'll have fun, work hard and make a difference! No experience is necessary.

Project Description

This trail needs a variety of maintenance to keep it in great shape and minimize impacts on the surrounding area. Activities may include pruning back overgrown vegetation, building structures, and digging new paths for water to flow off the trail. We may also restore the tread. This involves digging the trail surface to the proper width and slope as well as removing organic material, protruding rocks and roots.

Hiking Information

Our hike to the project site is expected to be 1-3 miles roundtrip over hilly to moderately steep terrain.

Schedule

  • 9:00 AM: Be ready to sign in and meet the crew, rain or shine
  • 9:05 AM: Gather for a safety briefing, then hike to the project site
  • Morning: Work at your own pace, and take breaks throughout the day
  • 12:00 PM: Lunch on the trail
  • Afternoon: Consider trying a new task before wrapping up the day's work
  • 3:00 PM: Sign out after enjoying refreshments at the trailhead

For safety reasons, arriving late or leaving early is not allowed.

Planning Information

Get ready for a great day outside!

What it Takes to Do This Work Party

  • No experience is necessary—just bring a great attitude for working with a team! WTA provides the training and tools you need
  • Expect to be physically active at your own pace for up to 6 hours on uneven terrain
  • Volunteers must be age 10 and older; under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

What to Wear

Required:

  • Sturdy closed-toe shoes
  • Work gloves
  • Eye protection (glasses, sunglasses, or safety glasses)
  • Long pants

Recommended:

  • Sturdy work or hiking boots
  • Long sleeved shirt

A hard hat will be provided by WTA. Additionally, work gloves and eye protection will be provided by WTA if you do not have your own, but when possible we recommend bringing your own. For safety reasons, certain tasks may be assigned based on the safety level of your footwear. Volunteers who do not have long pants, or sturdy closed toes shoes, will not be able to participate in the work party.

What to Bring

  • Lunch and plenty of water
  • Rain jacket and pants
  • Extra warm clothing in case of wet or cold weather
  • A pack to carry your personal gear
  • A sense of fun and adventure for learning new skills and meeting great people!

Firearms and weapons are not allowed.

More Information

From the Hiking Guide

See what WTA's hiking guide and trip reports say about this area.

Join Work Party

Partners

Directions

The Samish Way / Padden Trailhead, from Bellingham, is at the top of the hill, east and above Lake Padden (you'll pass the park entrances). It takes about 10 minutes to get there from downtown. Take Samish Way exit off I-5 and go east taking a right at the stoplight onto Samish Way. Drivepast Lake Padden Park entrance and the Lake Padden Golf Course entrance until you see the Padden Trailhead on the right just before Galbraith Lane.

Note: Please follow the written directions above instead of using a GPS device. This will ensure that you get to the correct meeting location for this work party. The location of the pinpoint below is only approximate.

Getting to WTA work parties can involve travel on rough, unpaved roads in areas without cellular service and without street addresses that can be accurately used by navigation devices. Unless specifically noted otherwise, routes can generally be traveled by all types of vehicles. Volunteers with limited experience driving on unpaved mountain roads may want to allow extra time, beyond what is recommended in the directions above, to get to the meeting location.

Required Documentation

You must be part of this crew and have a My Backpack account to see the Crew Corner.

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Carpool

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