Bellingham Rock
| Glacial erratic rock | |
| Coordinates | 48°41′28″N 122°25′41″W / 48.691°N 122.428°W |
|---|---|
Bellingham Rock was a landmark 100-ton glacial erratic[1][2] rock in Bellingham, Washington alongside Interstate 5, near Lake Samish and Chuckanut Creek.[3] It has been painted as a spirit rock by Bellingham area people since 1969,[4] resulting in inches of paint surrounding the boulder. It was scheduled for either removal "honoring the Bellingham Rock's place in community history", or demolition by Washington State Department of Transportation in 2026, as part of Puget Sound salmon recovery. The salmon recovery requires remediation of culverts under the freeway that harmed protected species.[5] Prior to removal, the paint will be removed and soil remediation will be performed in the surrounding area due to contamination with lead and cadmium.[3][6]
The rock was "quietly" broken into pieces by WSDOT c. May 5.[7] After the rock was destroyed by the WSDOT locals felt disappointed that no real attempt to move the landmark had been considered.[8]
References
- ↑ "Inventory Map – Washington Glacial Erratics". waglacialerratics.ess.washington.edu. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Geologic Mapping | Department of Natural Resources". dnr.wa.gov. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- 1 2 Shawn Garrett (April 17, 2026). "'Bellingham Rock' to be broken up and moved for Chuckanut Creek project". Seattle: KING-TV.
Crews plan to remove hazardous paint and soil before hauling away pieces of Bellingham Rock near I-5.
- ↑ Anna Diehl (December 21, 2020). "Chronicling Community Spirit at the I-5 Graffiti Rock, Bellingham's Iconic Billboard Boulder". Whatcom Talk. Pacific Northwest Media Properties. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ↑ David Rasbach (April 16, 2026). "Longstanding Bellingham landmark to be relocated to replace culvert as part of I-5 fish passage project" (Press release). Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ↑ Annie Todd (April 17, 2026). "Bellingham I-5 rock to be removed in coming weeks". Cascadia Daily News. Bellingham, Washington. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ↑ Robert Mittendorf (May 6, 2026). "WSDOT quietly broke Bellingham's I-5 boulder into pieces; it won't be relocated". The Olympian. Olympia, Washington.
- ↑ "WA landmark 'Bellingham Rock' destroyed, blasted into 100 pieces". www.msn.com. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
Further reading
- Hailey Hoffman (October 27, 2024). "What's the Deal With: Bellingham's I-5 graffiti rock?". Cascadia Daily. Bellingham, Washington. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
Large boulder has featured hand-painted messages for decades
- Jennifer Dowling (April 28, 2025). "WA landmark Bellingham Rock on I-5 threatened by construction, some hope to save it". Tacoma: KCPQ. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- Kai Uyehara (April 17, 2026). "'Bellingham rock' removal along I-5 could begin as soon as Monday". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- Robert Mittendorf (April 17, 2026). "Work to remove iconic Interstate 5 boulder south of Bellingham will begin Monday". The Bellingham Herald. Bellingham, Washington. Retrieved April 19, 2026.