A new Teanaway trailhead and 18 miles of trail — a victory 13 years in the making
Over the weekend, community members and trail users came out to the Teanaway Community Forest to celebrate the grand opening of the West Fork Teanaway trailhead and 18 miles of trail for hikers and other non-motorized trail users. WTA helped lead the planning and trail work in the area.
Over the weekend, community members and trail users came out to the Teanaway Community Forest to celebrate the grand opening of the West Fork Teanaway trailhead and 18 miles of trail for hikers and other non-motorized trail users.
The new trailhead has parking for up to 65 vehicles, including space for horse trailers; information kiosks, a mountain bike repair station, hitching post, picnic tables and two ADA accessible toilets.
From the trailhead, visitors can enjoy popular hiking destinations including Frog Pond and Cheese Rock. The Big Sandy trail also connects to the Towns to Teanaway trail system on Cle Elum Ridge.
Partners who worked together on a new trailhead in the Teanaway Community Forest celebrate the grand opening. The new trailhead and trails offer access to some of Washington's most beautiful landscapes. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer.
“Recreation is one of the last affordable activities for families across Washington, and the Teanaway is a premier destination for everyone from mountain bikers to hikers to equestrians,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove. “There’s no shortage of opportunities for good family fun in Washington’s great outdoors and I am beyond thrilled to provide more opportunities here in the Teanaway. At a time when recreation funding is being cut across the state, I’m proud that DNR is still hard at work providing opportunities for people to get outdoors thanks to the hard work of our staff and partners.”
Alan Carter Mortimer, who has worked and volunteered for WTA’s trail programs for over 30 years, has been working on the area for years and helped lead a trail work party over the weekend as part of the celebration.
“I was surprised the first time I came here,” Alan said. “Part of my job was to survey the whole area and all the trails available. I was just blown away, just finding places out there that were really beautiful. To see that other people experience that would be great.”
Hikers, bikers and equestrians joined to celebrate the opening of a new trailhead. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer.
What is the Teanaway Community Forest?
The state purchased the 50,241-acre Teanaway Community Forest (TCF) with funding from the Legislature in 2013, making it Washington’s first community forest. Community forests can be managed for benefits other than revenue, including watershed protection, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, grazing, and timber production.
The land is jointly managed by the Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, with significant public input from a community-based advisory committee. WTA was a founding member of that committee and helped shape the overall plan for recreation in the community forest, as well as leading the work to create the trails plan for the West Fork of the Teanaway Community Forest, where the new trailhead just opened.
The view along the trail to Cheese Rock, one of 18 miles of trails within this recently opened trail systems. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer.
"It’s so exciting to open these new trails in the Teanaway Community Forest,” said Andrea Imler, WTA’s advocacy director, who has been working on this project since the beginning of the community forest. “Washington Trails Association has been working with the community on these efforts for over a decade and people's love and excitement for this special place has only strengthened in that time. We’re so grateful to DNR, WDFW, our volunteers and for all of the partners we’ve worked with who have helped create a sustainable trail system that will be enjoyed by so many different trail users for generations to come."
Trails in the Teanaway
WTA, in partnership with DNR, kicked off the West Fork Teanaway Trail planning process in 2020. Over 2 years, WTA worked with a group of organizations that became the West Fork Trails Coalition, including the Back Country Horsemen of Washington, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and Mountains to Sound Greenway. With WTA’s leadership, the coalition developed the trails plan for the West Fork area. The plan is a 10 year vision to improve the experience for trail users, while also protecting the watershed. With the opening of the West Fork Teanaway trailhead, the first phase of the plan is now complete. The full plan has five phases and outlines more than 50 miles of non-motorized multi-use trails.
Several work parties took place the day of the ribbon cutting in the community forest. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer.
The driving force behind trail building and trail maintenance in the Teanaway has been the West Fork trails coalition, which includes members from DNR, WTA, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and Back Country Horsemen of Washington.
“At the end of the day, we all want the same things, even though we represent different user groups. It's been really fun to engage with that,” said Jesse Cummings, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance’s advocacy and trail program manager. “It makes it such a strong project because there are so many different organizations and perspectives coming together.”
Trail systems in the Teanaway community forest welcome nonmotorized trail users, including hikers, bikers and equestrians. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer.
The four nonprofits worked together to build the trails to complete the first phase of the plan. There were four distinct trail projects that needed to be completed.
- WTA prioritized the Frog Pond trail, a 5.4 mile loop popular with hikers and equestrians.
- Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance worked on completing the Big Sandy trail, which climbs to the top of Cle Elum ridge and connects to the Towns to Teanaway trail system.
- Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust tackled the Cheese Rock trail.
- Back Country Horsemen of Washington worked on improving the Aspen Grove trail, which is the only phase one trail that starts out of Indian Camp instead of the West Fork trailhead. Work on that project is expected to wrap up by the end of this year.
Although the groups had their own projects, they were quick to collaborate on work and help with trails that needed it most.
“Working with DNR and the other user groups here has been so rewarding,” said Barbara Penniston of Back Country Horsemen of Washington. “And, with that great relationship, we want to continue that work and make this the very best trail system ever. And I think it already is better. We are so thankful for the ability to ride and enjoy the beautiful land, to breathe fresh air, feel the rhythm of our horses and continue to experience what nature has given us.”
It's not a party without llamas! These two and their owner, Charley Rosenberry do incredible work carrying gear to remote locations all over the state, including in the Teanaway. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer.
The groups also took a collaborative approach to fundraising for some work. They used the proceeds from the annual Teanaway TrailFest to hire a local contractor, Jeff Newman, to machine build sections of trail on the Big Sandy, Frog Pond and Aspen Grove trails. The Kittitas Stewardship Fund and gifts from donors also contributed to funding WTA’s ongoing project work in the Teanaway.
The goal with all four trails was to create trail experiences that worked for all user groups, including hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers, and equestrians. The trail building process varied. Some trails just needed to be widened and improved. Other sections need to be rerouted to be more sustainable. Some older, user-built trails were decommissioned to focus on sustainable routes and to minimize impact.
Looking ahead
Over the past 3 years, over 500 volunteers have worked with WTA in the Teanaway to turn the trails into the finished projects they are today. With the West Fork trailhead and the three new trails open, WTA and our partners are focusing on Aspen Grove, the last phase 1 trail, with plans to complete the work by the end of 2026.
New trail construction has already begun on sections of the phase 2 trails, prioritizing areas where old trails cross onto private land and need to be rerouted onto DNR property. The reroutes will also be less steep and more sustainable, requiring less maintenance over time.
Hikers climb the sandstone slabs on the way to Cheese Rock, an iconic spot within the Teanaway. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer.
“When folks come together with a common vision and goals and roll up their sleeves, anything can happen,” Andrea said. “The dedication that everyone has contributed to the Teanaway is one-of-a-kind. It’s an amazing place with an amazing community. You’ve had folks working on this forest for more than a decade, volunteering their time simply because they love this place. It’s why I say that it’s been one of my most treasured projects – because of the people involved.”
If you go hiking on any of these trails, please write a trip report about your experience! And we have more upcoming trail work parties in the Teanaway. We’d love to see you out there!
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