2011 Map of Cavanaugh Creek

About this map

Dyes Ranch and the high-elevation clearing of Dailey Prairie anchor this remote section of Whatcom County as it appeared in the early 21st century. The landscape is defined by the steep drainage basins of the South Fork Nooksack River, where numerous named tributaries like Skookum Creek, Arlecho Creek, and Cavanaugh Creek carve through the foothills. Industry and natural resources are evident at the Swen Larsen Quarry in the northeastern corner, while a network of forest roads, including Blue Mt Rd, provides access to the peaks of Blue Mountain and New York Mountain. The presence of small, named water bodies like Atherns Pond and the branching flow of Galbraith Creek suggest a terrain deeply shaped by water and logging history, long after the initial settlement era but before significant modern development altered these backcountry routes.