Northwest Trek

Clear Lake is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington, north of the town of Eatonville. The population was 1,419 as of the 2010 census. The name comes from that of the lake of the same name located in the middle of the census-designated place.

Ohop Lake is a long and narrow lake near Eatonville, Washington, in Pierce County. It covers 218.2 acres and is situated in the Ohop Valley. It can be accessed through the state public boat launch located on the southern end. The lake is generally warm and slightly murky, making it popular for water sports. Ohop Lake is also popular for fishing.

Eatonville is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. It is 32 mi (51 km) south of Tacoma. The population was 2,845 at the 2020 census. The town motto is "Better Together."

Leber is an unincorporated community in Pierce County, in the U.S. state of Washington.

KTDD (104.9 MHz) is an FM radio station licensed to Eatonville, Washington, and serving the southern Puget Sound region including Tacoma. KTDD is owned by 247 Media and carries a Contemporary Worship radio format. The station holds periodic fundraisers to support the on-air ministry. KTDD has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 17,000 watts. The transmitter is off Alder Cutoff Road East in Eatonville.

Nisqually State Park is a 1,300-acre (530 ha) state park near Eatonville, Washington. The park resides on lands historically associated with several indigenous groups, most notably the Nisqually Indian Tribe. As of 2026, the park is one of two in Washington state to be jointly managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and an indigenous community. The park was first proposed in 1987, with land purchases to create the park initially undertaken in 1991. Due to a lack of funding, the park's plan stagnated until an official master plan was adopted in 2008. Limited funding further postponed development until 2013 when additional acreage was purchased. A first phase construction effort of a trailhead facility and an official hiking path began in 2014. Nisqually State Park opened in January 2016. The park was expanded during a second phase in the early 2020s which included the construction of several buildings, including a Coast Salish meeting hall, additional trails, and an interpretive plaza. The ongoing second phase, which included the cleanup of a town landfill, is planned to include a large campground and more than 13 miles (21 km) of trails into the forested canopy and to the confluence of the Mashel and Nisqually rivers. A roundabout was built at the park's entrance off State Route 507 and included Native American sculptures; the artworks were vandalized in December 2025. Nisqually State Park is situated on land considered to be ancestral and historic to the Nisqually people and was the birth place of Nisqually leader, Chief Leschi. The area is the known location of the Mashel Massacre, one of the last engagements of the Puget Sound War.

Lake Kapowsin is a lake in Pierce County, Washington, about halfway between Tacoma on Puget Sound, and Mount Rainier in the Cascade Mountains. The lake is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long and 0.15–0.5 miles (0.24–0.80 km) wide, lying in a channel formed by meltwater from the Puget lobe of the Vashon glacier during the Pleistocene glaciation. A small island, Jaybird Island, lies in the northern half of the lake. As indicated by a drowned forest in the lake and other evidence, the Puyallup River was inundated about 550 years ago by a lahar from Mount Rainier called the Electron Mudflow. The mudflow partially filled the channel (leading to its shallow, smooth bottom today) and blocked Ohop Creek's outlet, forming present-day Lake Kapowsin.: A69–A70 The Tacoma Rail shortline runs along the west side of the lake, as does Orville Road connecting Eatonville to the south with the town of Kapowsin. The lake contains a number of fish species and is stocked with rainbow trout, rated "excellent" for fishing by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, as is the yellow perch.

Kapowsin is a census-designated place located approximately 25 miles (38 kilometers) southeast of Tacoma in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The 2020 Census placed the population at 249. Kapowsin, originally Kapousen Precint, was named for its shallow lake. The ancient glacial drainage channel provides a nearly level connection between the Puyallup and Nisqually Rivers, and formed a natural travel route at the base of the Cascade foothills. Chief Kapowsin was a fictional leader with an iron fist who lived on the lake's shores, a folklore told by the Nisqually tribe that lived in the nearby village of bacálabc (or bišál; southwest of Eatonville) prior to the area being settled in 1888.Kapowsin was founded in 1901 when the Kapowsin Lumber Company built a sawmill at the community's present site. Located on the north end of Lake Kapowsin, the community was a thriving lumber town in the early part of the 20th century, with a high school, shops, and trades, and a population of about 10,000. After a decline in the timber industry, the town diminished in size into a neighborhood center, with a store, tavern, post office (US ZIP code 98344), fire station and grange hall. Kapowsin High School was abandoned in 1949 after being damaged in an earthquake. The 2010 Census placed the population at 333. Kapowsin is located partially in the Bethel School District and partially in the Eatonville School District, and Kapowsin Elementary School is located nearby. Secondary students attend Frontier Junior High and Graham-Kapowsin High School, which opened in 2005. Tacoma Rail's freight line to Morton, Washington, runs through the town.

The Mashel River is a river in Pierce County, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a tributary of the Nisqually River, which it enters about 3.6 miles (5.8 km) southwest of Eatonville, at Nisqually river mile 39.6.

La Grande is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Pierce County, Washington, United States. As of the 2020 census, La Grande had a population of 121. La Grande is located along Washington State Route 7 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southwest of Eatonville. La Grande has a post office with ZIP code 98348.

Electron is an unincorporated community in Pierce County in the state of Washington, US.Electron sits along the Puyallup River just northeast of Lake Kapowsin and is the site of the Electron Hydroelectric Project, a power plant operated by Puget Power. Above the plant, 10.1 miles upriver, is the Electron Diversionary Dam, which runs water to the power plant via a wooden flume. The dam and power plant project was constructed in 1903-04 and began operation on April 12, 1904. Electron was the site of a CCC camp in the 1930s. A mudslide destroyed the original powerhouse in 1936; rebuilding was partially completed in 1937 and fully rehabilitated in 1941. There is a small town park in Electron.

Alder Dam is a concrete thick arch dam on the Nisqually River in the U.S. state of Washington. The construction began in 1942 and was completed in 1945. At this time Alder Dam was among the tallest dams in the United States, although this title has since been surpassed. The impounded water behind the dam forms Alder Lake, stretching about 7 miles (11 km) upstream with a capacity of 241,950 acre-feet (0.29844 km3). With 28 miles (45 km) of shoreline, the lake is a popular recreation spot close to Mount Rainier National Park. Water from Alder Lake is sent into two generators at the base of the dam, each of which produces 25 megawatts for a total nameplate capacity of 50 megawatts. Two miles downstream is LaGrande Dam, site of the first dam in the area, dating from 1912, and rebuilt in 1945 along with Alder's construction. Most of the energy produced at the dam is sent to the city of Tacoma, about 25 miles (40 km) north. Both Alder and LaGrande dams are owned and operated by Tacoma Power. The name of the lake and the dam recalls the former small town of Alder, which was flooded in 1945 by the impounded water of the lake and disappeared. The current community of Alder is located north of the reservoir.