Alger, Washington

Lake Samish ( SAM-ish) is a lake south of Bellingham, Washington, United States. Visible to the west of Interstate 5 when travelling between Alger and Bellingham, Lake Samish is heavily used for recreation in the summer months by local residents. The lake shoreline is heavily developed and homesites cover almost the entire shoreline. Lake Samish is bordered on the south by Blanchard Mountain and on the north by Chuckanut Pass. Public access is limited but a Whatcom County park with a rough boat launch is located along the northern shore. In pre-colonial days, members of the Samish tribe lived at sites on the lake. In 1873 the Northern Pacific Railway Company made a preliminary survey through the Lake Samish valley on the way to Bellingham Bay and Hudson's Bay Company trappers had also probably been through the area before that but the first Europeans to settle at Lake Samish were Charlie Barns and William Harris, who staked claims to 160 acres each in March/April 1885, Barns on the east side and Harris on the west side of the lake. In 1931, a new highway connecting Seattle to Vancouver was constructed on the east side of the lake and designated part of U.S. Route 99. This road was later replaced by Interstate 5. Notable residents include Hilary Swank, who grew up on a trailer park next to the lake, and Ryan Stiles, who lives next to the lake.

Galbraith Mountain is the common name for North Lookout Mountain, located between the communities of Sudden Valley and Bellingham, Washington. It has been rated the best mountain bike trail system in the state of Washington. Galbraith Mountain is located between Lake Padden and Lake Whatcom. Over 65 miles of singletrack winds through 3,000 acres overlooking the city of Bellingham and Bellingham Bay. The mountain is accessible to all non-motorized use; all of the trails are built and maintained by the WMBC.

Bow is an unincorporated community in Skagit County, Washington. It is located near the towns of Bay View, Edison, Burlington, and Mount Vernon. Bow is included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bow overlooks Samish Bay. The population of Bow is 203 in the 2020 census. The 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge Bow Hill Railroad, complete with a working steam locomotive, is located in the Bow area. It can be found on the private property of Diz Schimke, who allows the public to ride the train during Christmastime in exchange for donations to the Alger food bank.

Blue Canyon is an unincorporated community in Whatcom County, in the U.S. state of Washington.

Park is an extinct town in Whatcom County, in the U.S. state of Washington.A post office called Park was established in 1884, and remained in operation until 1925. The community was named after Charles Park, an early settler.

KMWS (89.7 FM) is a radio station licensed to Mount Vernon, Washington. The station is owned by Washington State University, and airs Northwest Public Broadcasting's news and talk programming, consisting of syndicated programming from NPR, APM and PRX, as well as locally produced offerings.

Camp Firwood is a Christian summer camp situated on Lake Whatcom, southeast of Bellingham, Washington. It is part of "The Firs", a Christian camp and retreat ministry that is in good standing with the Christian Camp and Conference Association.

Sudden Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) just outside of Bellingham in Whatcom County, Washington. Sudden Valley is the second-largest homeowner association in western Washington, with over 7,000 residents. There are eleven neighborhood parks, miles of hiking trails in woodlands and along Lake Whatcom, beaches, two pools, sports fields, tennis courts, a basketball court, a recreation center with full gym, an 18-hole golf course, a library, a marina and more.

Lake Whatcom (from the Lummi word for "loud water") is located in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It is the drinking water source for approximately 85,000 residents in the city of Bellingham as well as Whatcom County. It is approximately 10 miles (16 km) in length and 1 mile (1.6 km) in width at its widest. Lake Whatcom is located and managed within three political jurisdictions: the city of Bellingham, Whatcom County, and the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District. The lake is a popular area for motor boating, swimming, fishing, and other recreational activities. The lake is divided into three basins. Basin 1, the Silver Beach Basin, is the furthest north, and has a maximum depth of 100 feet (30 m). Land use in Basin 1 is primarily residential development, with one large park and several small parks. Basin 2, the Geneva Basin, is the central basin where the drinking water for the city of Bellingham is withdrawn. This basin is the shallowest, with a maximum depth of just 40 to 60 feet (12 to 18 m). Land use is primarily residential, with a mix of lake protection program properties and some rural forestry. Basin 3 is the southernmost basin and is the most remote. At its greatest depth, Basin 3 is 328 feet (100 m) deep, and is estimated to contain 96% of the lake's total water volume. Land use in Basin 3 is composed of scattered residential development, mostly in the community of Sudden Valley, as well as rural and commercial forestry. The total area of the Lake Whatcom Watershed is 142 square kilometers (55 sq mi). There are nine annual streams and approximately 25 additional small creeks and tributaries that flow into Lake Whatcom, accounting for 23 sub-watersheds in all. Lake Whatcom drains into Bellingham Bay by way of Whatcom Creek. The lake has only one island, the 3-acre (12,000 m2) Reveille Island, owned by Camp Firwood, which is believed to be the site of past ceremonies by Native Americans, due to the presence of pictographs and a zoomorphic stone bowl found on the island.

Edison is a census-designated place (CDP) in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 133 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Prairie is an unincorporated community in Skagit County, in the U.S. state of Washington.

Thunder Creek is a stream located entirely within North Cascades National Park and the Ross Lake National Recreation Area in the US state of Washington. Thunder Creek runs in a northerly direction most of its route starting from just north of Park Creek Pass in the south district of North Cascades National Park and ending at Diablo Lake in Ross Lake National Recreation Area. Prior to the construction of the Diablo Dam, Thunder Creek emptied into the Skagit River. A popular hiking trail parallels Thunder Creek its entire length. Thunder Creek is well known for having a turquoise appearance from the suspended silt and rock flour caused by runoff from dozens of glaciers, including the largest glacier in the park, Boston Glacier, which feeds Skagit Creek, a tributary stream.