Glacier, WA

Glacier is an unincorporated community in the North Fork Nooksack River valley, about ten miles northwest of Mount Baker’s summit and roughly twenty miles by road from the ski area. State Route 542, the Mount Baker Highway, is the local spine; the Glacier Public Service Center sits just east, where Forest Service and National Park Service staff help people heading into the mountain country. Mount Baker School District serves the community.

The place began in 1909, when Jennie Vaughn founded and named Glacier. Gold mining and logging came first, followed by railroad interest and the highway that opened the valley to easier travel. That past still fits the present map: a small settlement along a mountain road, a ranger station near the edge, and the big volcanic peak setting the direction of nearly every trip. If someone asks where Glacier is, give them the Nooksack valley, Highway 542, and Mount Baker—then mention that the local service center is less than a mile east.