New Trails for the Teanaway Community Forest

After a decade of strong collaboration, WTA and our partners are excited to announce that we’ve broken ground on new trails in the Teanaway Community Forest. Late in 2022, the West Fork Trails Plan for the forest passed the state’s environmental review, the last step needed before we could get to work on the ground. We started putting that plan to work with a youth volunteer vacation in July and day work parties in October. 

Youth volunteers work on a trail in the West Fork area of the Teanaway Community Forest over the summer. Photo by Andy James.

The first stage of work focuses on a series of loop trails north of the West Fork Teanaway River, which offer scenic viewpoints and unique landmarks. The early work will also link up the West Fork trails with the nearby communities of Cle Elum, Roslyn and Ronald.

The forest’s location, in the backyard of these communities and a 90-minute drive from the Seattle area, will support the growing number of Washingtonians looking to get outside. At the same time, the forest will boost local economies and protect vital wildlife habitat.   

The Teanaway Community Forest, created in 2013, is the state’s first community forest. It took government agencies, nonprofits, tribes and agricultural groups years of planning and public involvement to develop management and recreation plans so the forest can provide for water sources, salmon habitat, recreation, grazing and forestry. WTA led the way on the West Fork Trails Coalition, which includes the Back Country Horsemen of Washington, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and Mountains to Sound Greenway, to plan for trails in the West Fork Teanaway River drainage of the Teanaway Community Forest. 

“We wouldn’t have been able to move forward with or complete the West Fork Trails Plan without our partnership with WTA,” said Stephanie Margheim, southeast region recreation and public use manager for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. “WTA brings years of expertise to projects like this that we do not have in-house, and we are incredibly thankful to have WTA by our side. We are excited the plan crossed the finish line so we can get working on implementation.”

The youth volunteer vacation in the West Fork area was our first work party in the forest after the West Fork Trails Plan was finalized last year. Photo by Sarah Williams. 

The West Fork area was chosen for the most trails because of the rich opportunities for recreation like camping, hiking, sightseeing, mountain biking, hunting, horseback riding, fishing, wildlife viewing, plant gathering, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. The plan calls for bringing existing trails in the area up to Department of Natural Resources standards. It also calls for removing trails that negatively impact the watershed, rerouting trails away from private property and building new trails to maximize access and safety. The goal is to provide opportunities for people with different experience levels to use the trails for a variety of activities.

The Teanaway Community Forest is truly a collaboration. WTA wants to thank everyone, from partner organizations to individual volunteers, who have been part of its creation — and to everyone who will be part of the forest’s next phase. 

We’d love your help building trails in the Teanaway. Look for work parties in spring 2024 and get involved!