Free trail app offers new opportunities in Bellingham
Summer in Bellingham means sunlit trails and a steady stream of cyclists cruising through town. For local riders looking to ground their usual weekend ride in something deeper, a new self-guided route offers a journey through the city’s Indigenous heritage: the Salish Tribute bicycle ride.
The route is the latest creation from Sarah Burch, founder of BIKE Bellingham. Launched this past spring, her passion project pairs custom-crafted bike routes with downloadable audio and visual navigation, turning everyday rides into immersive local field trips. The service is free.
Her 25-mile Salish Tribute route winds past 18 public art installations across the city — from vibrant waterfront murals to towering story poles — honoring the history, art and ongoing stewardship of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe.
“I very much have the eyes of a traveler. When I see something, I want to know the ‘how,’ the ‘what,’ the ‘why,’ the ‘where,’ and the story behind that thing,” Burch said.
Cyclists begin at Waypoint Park, where riders can access the ride with a GPS app that’s provided through BIKE Bellingham, receiving step-by-step audio and visual directions during their journey.
Riders at the park will pass the first of three Indigiversal Collective mural installations in the waterfront area, at the corner of Granary Avenue and Chestnut Street. Created at the Noisy Waters Mural Festival, these installations from 2023, 2024 and 2025 represent the work of First Nation artists from across North America.
As the journey continues, riders pass works like the Salmon Woman Story Pole created by Lummi House of Tears carvers in 1997, the Coast Salish Living Mural created by Free Borsey, Raven Borsey and Roy Nicol in 2025, and the Salmon Run and Salmon Woman murals created by Gretchen Leggitt and Jason LaClair in 2021 and 2024, respectively.
“Those of us who are on Mother Earth right now need to stand up for Mother Earth immediately. It’s a story about sustainability,” said LaClair of the Salmon Run mural, reported as the first piece of public art by a Coast Salish artist in Bellingham. “My message would be, number one, to appreciate this area we’re in because our ancestors took such good care of it. But also, we need to protect the natural resources and protect the Salish Sea.”
The three- to five-hour journey can be shortened to roughly 13 miles by following the Salish Tribute Lite guide that bypasses the “It’s Mine” Story Pole at Bellingham International Airport, the ININYAX’A7N (Thunderbird) sculpture at Whatcom Community College, and the House of Healing at the Seahome Arboretum.
“Today, ecosystems are under strain, and communities continue to reckon with the legacy of colonization, exclusion and injustice. Centering Indigenous voices, honoring traditional knowledge and restoring our relationship with the Earth offer pathways toward healing,” reads the trail’s webpage. “The Bellingham community has embraced art as a way of honoring Coast Salish cultures and expressing gratitude for the enduring stewardship of the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe. Salish Tributeguides cyclists to view this Indigenous art.”
After settling in Bellingham after 12 years of nomadic travel, Burch wanted to find a way to continue being a traveler in her own community.
Burch created BIKE Bellingham through her LLC, Curioocity. With a background in leading cycling trips and designing bike tours for other companies, she decided that creating these maps would be a great way to not only learn about the city’s history herself, but to share it with others.
Since March, Burch has dedicated an estimated 40 to 60 hours of work a week to BIKE Bellingham, she said. Burch personally creates each trail map, which includes determining the theme and coordinating with organizations or artists for information when relevant, updates the website to remain consistent with real-time detours, and markets the trails through social media.
“Bellingham is my community,” she said. “That’s why I’m kind of offering this as my gift to the community.”
As of July 2026, BIKE Bellingham offers five different rides including Salish Tribute, a tour of cat and dog themed places, “treemendous” trees, and a compilation of Bellingham’s more quirky attractions like the retired “Big Ol’ KFC Bucket” on Yew Street and The Karate Church of “Elf” Defense at the intersection of High Street and Maple Street.
Burch already has plans for 30 different themed rides she would like to develop, and hopes to release nine rides by the end of the summer. But it doesn’t end there — Burch hopes to eventually expand what BIKE Bellingham offers to other communities as well.
Cyclists interested in supporting her program can make donations through BIKE Bellingham’s support page or stay up to date through its Instagram page.
“I want to help people slow down,” said Burch. “I want to help them open their eyes and see details they’ve never noticed before.”
—By Jae Ranney
Internship sponsored by Puget Sound Energy