Preparing Chimacum Ridge Community Forest for its Public Debut

This was the busiest and most exciting year yet for Chimacum Ridge Community Forest. Featuring 918 acres of working forest, wetlands, and wildlife habitat in the heart of Chimacum, the forest officially opened to the public in September 2025!

This milestone — the successful completion of the largest and most ambitious project in the Land Trust’s history — was the culmination of years of work and bold visioning. For more than a decade, the Land Trust has been working to establish the community forest: a shared resource owned and managed locally by community members.

Over the past year, trail work on Chimacum Ridge kicked into high gear. With several shorter forest trails already completed, we focused on completing the multiuse trail: a six-foot-wide, graveled path suitable for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. The first 150 yards of the trail is accessible to assisted-wheelchair users, as is a lovely viewpoint showcasing the farmland of Center Valley.

Dedicated community volunteers joined Land Trust staff members, Community Forest Manager Ryen Helzer, AmeriCorps Forest Enhancement Steward Slater Sorensen, and crews from Washington Conservation Corps to create the trail. It leads from the parking lot up to the top of Chimacum Ridge, with its sweeping views of the Cascades, Chimacum, Tamanowas Rock, the foothills of the Olympics, and (on a clear day) all the way north to Port Townsend.

We also kept busy installing signs, culverts, and other infrastructure; completing a cultural assessment; conducting a small harvest; developing a number of essential policies; and much more.

Volunteers from the community have always been key to making the dream of the community forest a reality. They help build trails, support projects, and serve on the forest’s Board of Managers and three advisory groups (ecological, social, and economic).

In late September, we officially opened the forest to the public with a grand opening and ribbon cutting! Hundreds of community members joined us to celebrate.

What’s Next?

Thanks to our supporters, we’ll be expanding the size of our parking lot in the year ahead. We’ll also be adding an accessible trail at the top of the ridge out to the northern viewpoints. Stay tuned for future updates on our progress!

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Plan Your Visit!

We invite you to explore Chimacum Ridge, a working forest that’s open dawn to dusk.

Permitted Activities: hiking, biking, horseback riding, leashed dog walking, and wildlife viewing. Foraging and gathering is allowed for personal use only.

Recreation: Multiple trails provide easy and moderate hiking opportunities through the forest. A short walk from the trailhead and parking lot leads to a covered community pavilion built by local volunteers using wood harvested from the forest for outdoor education and other activities.

Amenities: A wheelchair-accessible SaniCan is available at the parking areas. There are benches located at the end of Maple Grove Trail and Viewpoint Trail, as well as in various places along the multiuse trail.

Directions: From Chimacum Corner, travel 1.7 miles south on Center Road to the gravel driveway on the left. This leads to Chimacum Ridge Community Forest’s public parking area and trailhead. Address: 1717 Center Road, Chimacum

Parking: There’s limited parking available (up to 12 vehicles, including one designated van-accessible space), so please be patient if you find the lot full.