Boulder River (Washington)
Encyclopedia
The Boulder River is a river
in the U.S. state
of Washington.
. It flows northwest and then northeast through a portion of Boulder River Wilderness
to join the Stillaguamish River
. The Stillaguamish empties into Port Susan
, part of Puget Sound
. The river's source is the Craig Lakes, two remote lakes located high on the slopes of Three Fingers. After exiting the lakes the river plunges over Craig Lakes Falls as it descends into the Boulder River Wilderness.
The river flows northwest from there and just as it is turning northeast it tumbles over very bouldery Boulder Falls. The river also flows over one more waterfall, Half Mile Falls, before the river makes its final push toward its confluence with the North Fork Stillaguamish River.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington.
Course
The Boulder River originates in the Cascade RangeCascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
. It flows northwest and then northeast through a portion of Boulder River Wilderness
Boulder River Wilderness
Boulder River Wilderness is a wilderness area within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the western Cascade Range of Washington state.-Topography:...
to join the Stillaguamish River
Stillaguamish River
The Stillaguamish River is a river in northwest Washington in the United States. It is mainly composed of two forks, the longer North Fork Stillaguamish and the South Fork Stillaguamish. The two forks join near Arlington. From there the Stillaguamish River proper flows for to Puget Sound...
. The Stillaguamish empties into Port Susan
Port Susan
Port Susan is a bay and strait located in the U.S. state of Washington. Part of the Whidbey Island Basin of Puget Sound, Port Susan is bounded by Camano Island to the west and the mainland to the east. The Stillaguamish River empties into the northern end of Port Susan. To the south, Port Susan...
, part of Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
. The river's source is the Craig Lakes, two remote lakes located high on the slopes of Three Fingers. After exiting the lakes the river plunges over Craig Lakes Falls as it descends into the Boulder River Wilderness.
The river flows northwest from there and just as it is turning northeast it tumbles over very bouldery Boulder Falls. The river also flows over one more waterfall, Half Mile Falls, before the river makes its final push toward its confluence with the North Fork Stillaguamish River.