Boulder River Wilderness is a 48,674-acre (197 km) wilderness area within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the western Cascade Range of Washington state.
6-682: Boulder River Wilderness is made up of dense forests and steep ridges that rise to the summits of Three Fingers and Whitehorse Mountain . Elevations range from 1,000 feet (305 m) in the Boulder River Valley to the 6,850 feet (2,088 m) south peak of Three Fingers. South Peak is also home to an old fire lookout. This high ridge bears a narrow saw-toothed profile with several sharp summits, which include Liberty , Big Bear , and Whitehorse Mountains and Salish and Buckeye Peaks, all above 5,600 feet (1,707 m) in elevation. Several steep and heavily wooded ridges thrust out east and west from
12-591: Is a mountain which is located in Snohomish County , Washington . At a height of 6,859 feet (2,091 m), it is the 12th most prominent peak of the state , and is also part of the Cascade Range ."Three Fingers" refers to the mountain's three summits. The Three Fingers is a prominent and recognizable landmark in northern Snohomish County. The first ascent of the mountain came in 1929, by Darrington -based mountaineers Harry Bedal and Harold Engles. A fire lookout
18-465: The central core of the area remains rough and trailless. A short trail extends up Boulder River for 4.3 miles (7 km) through old-growth forest . Three short trails climb toward the high crest and eventually peter out. Another trail crosses the northeast corner of the Wilderness over Squire Creek Pass, with outstanding views of the high crest. Three Fingers (Washington) The Three Fingers
24-748: The central crest of the wilderness. Boulder River , a tributary to the North Fork Stillaguamish River , is the wilderness area's primary drainage and runs approximately 10 miles (16 km) through the northwest section of the wilderness. The Long Creek Research Natural Area on the south slope of Wiley Ridge is also protected within the wilderness boundary. Common vegetation in Boulder River Wilderness includes old-growth Douglas fir , true fir , western hemlock , and western red cedar , as well as bigleaf maple , alder , willow , and devil's club . Sitka spruce can be found at
30-511: The lowest elevations along the Boulder River. The Boulder River Wilderness contains some of the last substantials tracts of lowland virgin forest in Washington state. Black bears , black-tailed deer , and elk inhabit the forest, and mountain goats can be found on the rocky shelves above the tree line. Boulder River Wilderness boasts approximately 25 miles (40 km) of trails, though
36-512: Was built on the southernmost peak by Bedal, Engels, and Frank Benesh, and was seasonally staffed from 1933 until 1942. Supposedly, the top 15 feet (4.6 m) of the southern peak was blasted for the cabin, lowering the mountain's height in the process. It was abandoned and later rebuilt by local mountaineering groups in the 1960s and 1980s. The lookout was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, alongside other structures in
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