Western students and Bellingham locals flock to Whatcom Falls Park as soon as the sun emerges in the spring. Whatcom Falls Park contains many attractions spreading more than 200 acres.
Park Operations Manager Marvin Harris described Whatcom Falls Park as a nice, open space in the middle of the city.
Students continue to cliff jump at Whatcom Falls despite warning signs posted at the public park. The cliffs are a popular attraction to students and other community members. Photo by Mark Malijan
Some of the park’s attractions include hiking and biking trails, basketball courts and a popular waterfall where people often jump off, Harris said.
The park covered only 40 acres when local business people purchased the land in 1908, Wahl said. The Great Depression era bridge, also known as the pedestrian bridge, was built in the main parcel of the 40 acres and still stands today, Greenway Program Coordinator Tim Wahl said.
Since then, the park has grown from 40 acres to more than 200 despite a large fire in 1999, which damaged a portion of the park, Wahl said.
New renovations in the last 10 years have included new playgrounds as well as a new full-size basketball court. Bellingham Parks and Recreation hopes to add new modern restrooms this summer, Harris said.
One of the main attractions that draw Western students to the park is the water, Wahl said.
There is no designated swimming area in the park, but many students and locals jump off the waterfall into a small whirlpool of water source.
Despite warning signs next to the falls, parkgoers often disregard the warnings and jump in, Wahl said.
Western senior Bren Byerley said he has jumped off the falls every quarter since he was a freshman. Byerley originally learned about the falls through his mountain biking class when they rode on the park’s biking trails, he said.
Although the instructor made a point to say it was too cold to jump, Byerley thought otherwise and made it his goal to jump off at least once every quarter, he said.
“I thought it would be a fun thing to do and a good story to tell people,” Byerley said. “It is dangerous, but you get an adrenaline rush from jumping.”
Although Byerley has seen the warning signs, it does not stop him from jumping because other people ignore the sign as well, he said.
Many people seek the thrill of jumping and do what they’re not supposed to do, Wahl said.
Wahl said many Western students are impressed with the gorge within the park that features water and a lot of beautiful scenery.
The gorge stretches from the pedestrian bridge to the Middle Falls and then to Iowa street, Wahl said.
