Berthusen Park is found on the outskirts of Lynden, just north of Bellingham. The park provides plenty of activities for the whole family. Berthusen Park provides picnic areas, group shelters, playground activities, old growth forest for hiking and educational purposes, Antique Tractor Club displays, Historic Barn with equipment on display. The groups associated with the park include Lynden RC Model Airplane Flying Club, Lynden Shotgun Club and the Lynden Boy Scout Troop.
There is an extensive network of trails that is the result of successive years of Eagle Scout Projects by Troop 2010. The trails are wide open paths that loop throughout the park. Great for a walk, run or bike ride- especially for beginners or young ones.
There are 12 signposts that you can follow in a loop around the park. Many conveniently come with benches to sit and take a rest and soak in the serenity of the surroundings.
The well signed trail points you in the right direction to follow either the Eagle Loop or the Owl Trail. There are also multiple map kiosks to help orient you when you are inside the small forest.
As I followed the Owl Trail, it brought me down to the creek bed of Bertrand Creek. The section below was dry, but as I walked through the sticky mud, I came out into the open of the creek bed.
The clear waters of Bertrand Creek flow briskly past the bend in this small tributary of the mighty Nooksack River. It is a salmon spawning ground- so it is being protected and improved for salmon habitat. I figure that whenever I see the little blue tubes (for tree planting) that our local salmon lovers- Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association- must be involved (which they are in this case).
I crossed the creek on the precarious log that looked enough like a bridge to me (above). It connected me with the great expanse of green grass that hosts many small events throughout the sunnier seasons. It was a quiet day when I was there, and I welcomed it with every breath. Being able to find quiet time to ourselves is often a challenge- but it was easy to find at Berthusen Park.
As I continued my exploration, I came across an old mill and associated equipment- that is part of park property. It was fun to look at the old pieces of equipment with the stamps of the regional manufacturers who were making the equipment. The Washington Iron Works Builders No. 3467, Seattle, WA. seemed to have a solid hand in the process.
There are many interesting outbuildings scattered across the property (not all shown) that invite further exploration. The mixture of colors, form and function of the buildings provide an interesting juxtaposition of the utility of each over the years. The log cabin below was donated by Mr. & Mrs. Henry Berendesen (as the sign reads)... it was located on their farm and is believed to have been built by a man named "McGuire" in the 1870's.
The words on the windmill read: The AER Motor Co. Chicago. It still seems to pump water out of the ground- but I didn't give it a test. It's a beautiful example of simple machinery- especially when the light catches it just right.
Berthusen Park is one of the many parks that will be connected via a regional trail, someday. The Nooksack Loop Trail is envisioned as a recreation and transportation corridor through north Whatcom County. It directly links six parks and four major population centers. - Whatcom Parks and Recreation Foundation. Berthusen Park Brochures Berthusen Park Brochure Interpretive Trial Brochure Children Interpretive Trail Brochure Berthusen Historic Trial Horseback Riding Information.
