No one will dispute the fact that Washington is one of the most visually stunning places in the country. And while the recent beautiful weather and the slow, steady re-opening of our state make us want to go out and explore it, it’s unfortunately impossible to be in several places at once (at least, for now). In the meantime, some of Washington’s most beautiful state parks can be toured visually — and the footage is very realistic. We’re big fans of Birch Bay State Park, a little piece of paradise near Bellingham.

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Birch Bay sits in between Semiahmoo Bay and Lummi Bay about 35 miles south of Vancouver, B.C. and 100 miles north of Seattle.

Shannon Johnson / Google While there’s not much to the quiet little town, it is home to this beautiful state park.

Birch Bay State Park sits in a quiet cove, spanning over 600 acres.

Luba Bushuyev / Google The park has 8,255 feet of saltwater shoreline on Birch Bay and 14,923 feet of freshwater shoreline on Terrell Creek.

Between the panoramic views of the Cascade Mountains and the glimpses of the Canadian Gulf Islands, it’s easy to see why people love this area.

Oceandweller7 / TripAdvisor It’s easy to see why people come here to get away from it all.

Birch Bay was named by Archibald Menzies, botanist, for its abundance of black birch trees.

Steven R. Colson / Google But long before Menzies’ 1792 expedition, the bay was inhabited by Semiahmoo, Lummi and Nooksack tribes.

These days, the park is mainly used for day use, although camping is available.

Karen ePage / Google There are plenty of tent spaces in the forested camping area, plus 20 utility spaces. And if you stay, you can begin every morning with a quiet beach walk.

Every Washingtonian should check out Birch Bay State Park at some point. In the meantime, the Washington State Parks Foundation has created an incredible virtual tour.

James Mason / Google You won’t feel the soft bay breeze or hear the seagulls, but you will get an idea of all the spots you’ll want to see in person.

Take a lovely, in depth virtual tour of Birch Bay State Park here. Which Washington state park do you plan to visit first this year?

Shannon Johnson / Google

While there’s not much to the quiet little town, it is home to this beautiful state park.

Luba Bushuyev / Google

The park has 8,255 feet of saltwater shoreline on Birch Bay and 14,923 feet of freshwater shoreline on Terrell Creek.

Oceandweller7 / TripAdvisor

It’s easy to see why people come here to get away from it all.

Steven R. Colson / Google

But long before Menzies’ 1792 expedition, the bay was inhabited by Semiahmoo, Lummi and Nooksack tribes.

Karen ePage / Google

There are plenty of tent spaces in the forested camping area, plus 20 utility spaces. And if you stay, you can begin every morning with a quiet beach walk.

James Mason / Google

You won’t feel the soft bay breeze or hear the seagulls, but you will get an idea of all the spots you’ll want to see in person.

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Address: Birch Bay State Park, 5105 Helweg Rd, Blaine, WA 98230, USA