Tennant Lake Park is a county wetland preserve near Ferndale, sitting right next to Hovander Homestead Park. It is a quieter, more nature-focused counterpart to its neighbor. The highlights are a marsh boardwalk that takes you out over the wetland, a 50-foot observation tower for wildlife viewing, an interpretive center, and the accessible Fragrance Garden, which is Braille-labeled and built around scent and touch. There is parking and restrooms on site. This is a place for birdwatching, slow walks and taking in the marsh, especially in the warmer months when the wetland is most active. Because it shares a corner of the county with Hovander, the two are easy to visit together on one trip.

What you’ll find

Tennant Lake is built around its wetland. A boardwalk carries you out over the marsh, an interpretive center helps explain what you are looking at, and a 50-foot observation tower gives you a high vantage for spotting birds and wildlife across the wetland. The Fragrance Garden is a real distinguisher: it is accessible and Braille-labeled, designed around plants you can smell and touch, which makes it welcoming for visitors with low vision. Parking and restrooms are on site. There is no playground or sports facility here; the focus is nature and quiet observation. It is the kind of park where the reward is paying attention, watching for herons, taking in the marsh and moving at an unhurried pace.

Good for

Birdwatchers, nature walkers, and anyone who appreciates a thoughtful, accessible garden. The boardwalk and tower make wildlife viewing easy, and the Fragrance Garden gives the park a sensory, inclusive dimension that is genuinely uncommon. With parking and restrooms on site and its location right next to Hovander, it is easy to fit into a relaxed outing. It is less suited to active play or to families looking specifically for a playground, since the emphasis is on the wetland and the quiet. Pair it with Hovander next door and you get history and nature in one stop.

When to go

The wetland is most active and the garden most rewarding in the warmer months, so spring through summer is the prime time to visit Tennant Lake, both for wildlife on the marsh and for the Fragrance Garden in bloom. Birdlife is a draw across the seasons, and the boardwalk and tower work year-round, though the marsh can be wet, so plan footwear accordingly. Because Tennant Lake adjoins Hovander Homestead Park, a single trip can cover both, which is the way many people experience this corner of the county. Check the county’s seasonal notes for current garden and interpretive-center timing.

A local broker’s take

When buyers ask me what there is to do around Ferndale, places like Tennant Lake are near the top of my list. A wetland preserve with a wildlife tower, a marsh boardwalk and an accessible Fragrance Garden, right next to the Hovander farmstead, gives the area a depth that surprises people who only know Ferndale from the highway. For buyers weighing more affordable land north of Bellingham, this kind of nearby nature is part of the quality-of-life case. I like showing clients these spots because they reframe what living in Ferndale actually feels like. If the area interests you, I am glad to walk you through it.

Good to know

What is the Fragrance Garden at Tennant Lake Park?

It is an accessible, Braille-labeled garden designed around plants you can smell and touch, making it especially welcoming for visitors with low vision. It is one of the distinctive features of this Ferndale-area wetland preserve.

Can you see wildlife at Tennant Lake Park?

Yes. The park is a wetland preserve with a marsh boardwalk and a 50-foot observation tower built for wildlife viewing, plus an interpretive center. It is a popular spot for birdwatching, especially in the warmer months.