Big Muddy River Here the outline of the Wisconsinan Era lake bed is evident in what were the northern reaches of the ancient lake, where the lake bed was only a few hundred feet wide. The steep Illinoian hills are suddenly truncated where they meet the flat bottom of the Wisconsinan Era lake bed. Here the tributaries of the Big Muddy are tiny, intermittent streams, meandering though these narrow valleys at the headwaters. The Big Muddy basin contains a significant portion of the planet's coal reserves. Most of this is hidden under its deep mud. At a few places the river has eroded
Muddy River (Washington) Muddy River Picnic Site, next to the river and to Forest Road 25 in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Trails cross the river on its upper reaches. Muddy River originates at about the level on the southeast side of Mount St. Helens in the Cascade Range. The river source is within Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Shoestring Glacier is to the right and East Dome is to the left. Flowing southeast down steep slopes, the river curves sharply to the northeast just beyond the level of the volcano. Here the river crosses Forest Road