Chuckanut Drive Scenic Byway
(State Route 11)
Chuckanut Drive connects several historic communities and scenic recreation areas along its path from Burlington to Bellingham, Washington.
In 1999, the Whatcom Council of Governments was awarded a National Scenic Byways grant to work with the communities along State Route 11 to develop a Corridor Management Plan.
Members of the Chuckanut Corridor Community (CCC) worked together to craft a plan that serves as a guide for the preservation and enhancement of Chuckanut's historical, natural and other intrinsic quality sites. The Chuckanut community continues to work together on project proposals and grant funding to develop interpretive maps, sites and signage and enhance or protect recreational, scenic or archeological locations.
Corridor Management Plan
Located equidistant between Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia, Chuckanut Drive is a quiet, winding coastal route that offers a slower-paced scenic alternative to the high speed interstate highway running parallel further inland. Throughout its history it has been a favorite among cyclists and hikers and campers as well as residents and travelers seeking a dramatic natural landscape in which to commune with the forests, sea-scape and sky.
The Corridor Management Plan reveals more of the fascinating history of this beautiful area, making clear why Chuckanut Drive received the honor of official designation as a State Scenic and Recreational Highway in 1993. The twenty mile corridor connecting the scenic farmlands of Skagit County with the majestic coastal cliffs skirting the Strait of Juan de Fuca offers travelers magnificent views of the San Juan Islands. To traverse the route on one of the Pacific Northwest's quintessential long, sunny summer evening is to experience a sunset sky of radiant beauty unsurpassed throughout the world.
The primary purpose of the plan is to:
- Document community interest and guide enhancement projects;
- Promote partnerships for conservation and enhancement activities;
- Bring new resources to the corridor for project development and programs;
- Support application for National Scenic Byway designation if local jurisdictions choose to seek it; and
- Promote coordination between residents, communities and agencies.
The Corridor Management Plan will not increase regulation in the corridor:
- The Corridor Management Plan will not change local land use authority.
- The Plan will not increase state or federal involvement in local land use.
- Any actions or projects shown outside of the right-of-way are entirely voluntary. They may be implemented by local jurisdictions through existing processes, or landowners may choose to implement them, but the plan does not have regulatory authority.
- Local jurisdictions or private property owners will not be penalized if they choose not to implement actions described in the plan.
- Property acquired for enhancements will not be acquired by condemnation, but by voluntary sale or donation.
Future Projects
The following project proposals (all available in the Resources section of the page) for Chuckanut Drive have been submitted since 2000:
