Sumas Mountain is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

located in

Whatcom County Whatcom County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington, bordered by the Canadian Lower Mainland (the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley Regional Districts of British Columbia) to the north, Okanogan Cou ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, 15 miles northeast of Bellingham and southwest of

Vedder Mountain The Vedder Mountain is a branch of the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest, located at the southeastern edge of the Fraser Lowland in British Columbia, Canada, between the village of Yarrow and the village of Cultus Lake, extending from the Vedd ...

. Located in the

Skagit Range The Skagit Range ( ) is a Mountain range#Sub-ranges, subrange of the Cascade Range in southwestern British Columbia, Canada and northwestern Washington (state), Washington, United States, which are known in Canada as the Canadian Cascades or, offi ...

, the mountain is notable for its high

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

and year-round

hiking trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...

s. It is sometimes referred to as American Sumas to distinguish it from an identically named mountain across the

Canada–United States border The border between Canada and the United States is the longest international border in the world. The terrestrial boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: Can ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

just to the north, both of which are drained by

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

creeks of the

Sumas River The Sumas River is a river in the Fraser Lowland and a tributary of the Fraser River river system, system, coursing across the Canada–United States border, international border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province o ...

. The mountain is largely owned by the

Washington Department of Natural Resources The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages over of forest, range, agricultural, and commercial lands in the U.S. state of Washington. The DNR also manages of aquatic areas which include shorelines, tidelands, lands und ...

, but some parcels are privately held. While the public land is open for recreation, it is managed primarily for timber harvest. Clearcuts are present on many slopes and most all the remaining forest is in varying stages of recovery and regrowth.

Washington State Route 547 State Route 547 (SR 547) is a Washington state highway located in Whatcom County, south of the Canada–US border. The long route runs northwest from in Kendall to in Sumas. The highway was originally created in 1984, but a road e ...

, which traverses a low pass on the mountain's northern flank, runs northwest from the

Mount Baker Highway State Route 542 (SR 542) is a State highways in Washington, state highway in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, serving Mount Baker in Whatcom County, Washington, Whatcom County. SR 542 travels east as the Mount Bak ...

, (SR 542) in Kendall to SR 9 in

Sumas Sumas () is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It had a population of 1,307 as of the 2010 census. Sumas is located adjacent to the Canada–U.S. border and borders the city of Abbotsford, British Columbia. The Sumas-Huntingd ...

, which is located on the Canada–United States border and south of Abbotsford,

. The

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), often referred to as the "Milwaukee Road" , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986. The company experience ...

once traversed the same pass. The controversial

Swift Creek Landslide The Swift Creek Landslide is an active, slow-moving landslide located in western Washington, USA, due east of Everson on Sumas Mountain. Asbestos laden sediment originating from the landslide has recently generated much interest in this area. Asbe ...

is located on the mountain's western slope.

References

External links

* * * Mountains of Whatcom County, Washington Mountains of Washington (state) {{WhatcomCountyWA-geo-stub

See also

References

External links