Decision on Bellingham’s graffiti rock landmark due soon as demolition looms
Time is running out for the graffiti rock along Interstate 5 south of Bellingham, which the Washington State Department of Transportation says is in the way of a construction project to help migrating salmon.
WSDOT has set a hard date of Nov. 1 for a decision about the roadside attraction that has become a community billboard of sorts for more than 50 years — marking graduations, birthdays, sports victories and memorializing the death of loved ones.
No solid plans have been made to find a new location for the rock, despite two proposals to move it, WSDOT’s R.B. McKeon told The Herald. But moving to a new location is still an option.
At present, the state is documenting the history of the rock. WSDOT’s current plans call for breaking it into pieces that will be made available to the public, McKeon said in an email.
‘We understand the rock means a great deal to the community, and we are continuing to work until the last possible moment to give everyone involved the best opportunity to preserve it in that role. If all conditions are met and the State Attorney General’s Office signs off on the final agreement, WSDOT will proceed with relocating the rock to its new home,” McKeon said in an email.
“In the meantime, our Cultural Resources Office is finalizing the Treatment Plan, which documents both the decision and the next steps for the rock. This plan must be signed by Federal Highway Administration and state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation before any action can be taken. If we cannot finalize an agreement with a private property owner, the contingency plan remains to abate and demolish the rock, with pieces made available for community distribution. Our contractor must have a clear direction, either relocation or demolition by Nov. 1 to maintain the project’s delivery schedule,” she said.
Standing about 8 feet high and weighing an estimated 100 tons, the boulder was blasted out of the surrounding Chuckanut sandstone when I-5 was built in 1966. A Lake Samish summer resident was the first person to paint it, with the words “Sealth ’70” in 1969, a reference to his Seattle high school graduating class.
It’s located near the Samish Way exit ramp from northbound I-5 and is traditionally seen by Bellingham travelers as a sign that they are nearly home.
Keith Cook of Bellingham has maintained a social media presence for the ever-changing icon with his Bellingham Rock page on Facebook.
He’s disappointed that state officials didn’t make plans to save the rock at the same time that construction blueprints were being drawn.
“I don’t know why they didn’t have this figured out from jump street,” Cook told The Herald in a phone call.
Neither Whatcom County or any of its cities wanted to provide a space for the rock, leaving relocation up to a private landowner.
“It’s really something of a political hot potato. Nobody wants something that’s promoting graffiti,” Cook said.
Indeed, the rock has sometimes been the target of hate speech, with racist and hateful messaging and symbols.
Further, the rock itself is covered in 50 years worth of paint — a toxic problem that would have to be addressed if it were moved.
Cook said WSDOT seemed intent on demolishing the rock, rather than planning to move it.
“I think it was a dog-and-pony show the whole time. They just kept coming up with these ‘no’ answers. They just played us, wanting to pretend that (moving the rock) was a possibility and knowing they were going to demolish it the whole time,” he said.
This story was originally published October 27, 2025 at 5:15 AM with the headline "Decision on Bellingham’s graffiti rock landmark due soon as demolition looms."
