At the headwaters of the Yakima Basin Watershed is a 50,000-acre natural wonder – Washington first state-owned community forest. Animals and plants thrive in nearly 400 miles of untouched streams and their surrounding lands. This gigantic preserve offers mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding terrain that is both scenically beautiful and full of copper mining artifacts and sites. The heady scent of Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine fill the air year-round, while warm weather brings on meadows filled with wildflowers, butterflies, and birds. You might round a corner and discover a hidden waterfall that tumbles into a creek filled with cool water, or stumble upon a spectacular grove of trees dressed in their autumn splendor against a backdrop of a rocky hillside. Spectacular mountain views fill the horizon.
Only five years old, the Teanaway Community Forest’s recreation plan is still evolving, with input from locals, the recreational community, and government entities. The eventual result from careful consideration will be trails for all types of non-motorized use. Both locals and visitors to the area, including lucky owners of vacation homes nearby, stand to benefit, not to mention the trees and wildlife protected by the Teanaway Community Forest.