"The wife and I drove up North today for a training hike and some views, and a new summit for me. I've noted the Chuckanut Mountains several times while reading trip reports and researching hikes. Located South of Bellingham right along the sound, there are many miles of trail between several different parks in the area open to varying combinations of hikers, horses and mountain bikes. The route we chose starts from Highway 11 where it intersects with the Pacific Northwest Trail, which travels from the far NW corner of the Olympic Penninsula to the Rocky Mountains in Montana, between roads, trails and ferries. After a 1 1/2 hour drive from Renton we were more than ready to get moving. There is not much parking available on the side of the highway, enough room for 10-20 vehicles max. The first section of trail switchbacks up steep slopes toward Samish Overlook where Para-gliders and Hang-gliders launch off the cliffs. One could cut at least 2 miles and 1000' of climbing by parking in the lot at the Overlook. Discovery Pass required. We passed the turnoff for Samish Overlook, planning on looping through it from Max's Shortcut Trail after visiting Lily Lake giving the dense cloud..." — Jeb • Feb 2, 2013