Jim Creek VLF facility

The Navy has a VLF radio facility in Washington state. I've heard it on the radio and finally decided to look it on on satellite.

Jim Creek

Hardly a secret base, but it is interesting how the government was able to clear cut all the trees in the area.

The station callsign in NLK. Frequency is 24.8KHz. The service is digital and mostly likely encrypted. Some shortwave radios work this low in frequency. The real key is to have an antenna working down that low. I used a Wellbrook loop.

There's quite a bit of info on this area on the net.

Command and control for the pacific submarine fleet and a nice looking recreation area too.

While house hunting a few years back I stumbled upon this radio station at the end of Jim Creek road and came across security watching me from the other side of the fence in a Humvee. It is quite a big chain link fence as I recall - typical of what you see at active military bases. It's where I got my current ATS handle from.

I had some pictures, but I think they're erased. Anyway it's not what I'd call clear cut - perhaps it was at one time or maybe they have trimmed since my last visit. Many towers painted Red & White amongst the evergreen trees is what I recall.

Oh, yeah forgot to mention - I'm about a 45-50 minute drive from it at this moment.

[edit on 2-8-2010 by verylowfrequency]

reply to post by verylowfrequency


Well on bing it looks pretty nude, or is the word denuded? ;-)

smeter.net has this to say:

A U.S. Navy communication station located at Jim Creek, Washington. It uses a Continental Electronics Corp. transmitter and a horizontal wire transmitting antenna strung between two mountain tops.

However, all I see is what you mentioned, i.e. tall towers.

This website has a comprehensive list of VLF stations with links to bing for viewing satellite imagery.
vlf station list

I used to think bing satellite was a copy of google, but if you look at the statiohn NPM, the google orthorectification is screwed up. If you are not familiar with the term, basically an orthorectified image is correctly digitally so that it appears as if you are directly overhead, even if the shot was taken at an angle. Usually tall structures look like they are tilting when rectified.

On a somewhat related topic, they ripped out the NDB at Basecamp.

reply to post by gariac


Though I drove by the road I haven't been by there for about 6 years, so it is possible that they did some cutting to give them better site lines for security and to service the facilities. Looking at the map again, perhaps it's because that clear-cut section cannot be viewed from the perimeter fence which is as far as I was allowed to go. They did a pretty good circle there.

I suppose I could take a look at the place as my dad is a retired Navy Cmdr. and could probably get a recreation pass into the area.

BTW - other than a funny off colored road sign, the road looks like all the rest of the roads in the area and like that road they all Dead End.