Visiting Illahee Preserve
Visiting Illahee Preserve
Activities:
Illahee Preserve is home to mature Western redcedar, Bigleaf maple, Douglas fir, and Western hemlock trees that flank a meandering trail down to Chimacum Creek, where visitors are welcome to view annual runs of coho, chum, and steelhead salmon. The preserve also features a 150-foot-long accessible gravel trail beginning from the parking area and leading to a picnic shelter situated on the grassy, open area.
Visitor Information
Allowed
Hiking and wildlife viewing. Dogs are allowed and must be kept on a leash at all times for the safety of other visitors and wildlife. Please remain on the trails to avoid damaging sensitive habitat.
Group or Special Use
To request permission to visit this preserve with your group of 8 or more people, or to propose a special use not listed above, please complete this use request form and a staff member will get back to you about the proposed group/special use.
Not Allowed
Biking, motorized vehicle use, horseback riding, hunting, camping, fires, trash dumping, and tree cutting.
Amenities
There’s a wheelchair-accessible SaniCan adjacent to the parking area, a wheelchair-accessible picnic shelter, and benches for resting and quiet contemplation located near the kiosk and underneath the picnic shelter.
Trails
Here’s a trail map and field guide to assist with your exploration
Picnic Trail
A 150-foot-long and 5-foot-wide trail with a gradient of less than 5% that leads from the parking area to a covered picnic shelter high above Chimacum Creek. The trail is made of compacted 1/4-inch minus gravel to provide a stable, level, hard, non-degrading, and non-slick surface for long-term durability and a comfortable visitor experience.
Creek Trail
A 0.15-mile (5-minute) dirt-surface trail that leads from the parking area through a forest and down to Chimacum Creek. The trail is moderately to steeply sloped, with a gradient greater than 20% in some places.
Getting There
Operating Hours/Season
Open year-round, from dawn to dusk.
Directions
- From Port Townsend, travel south on Highway 20.
- Continue onto Highway 19.
- Travel 1.7 miles, then turn left on Prospect Avenue (toward Kala Point).
- Travel 0.4 miles and take a right turn onto Creekview Lane.
- Slowly follow the gravel road to the parking area.
Parking
There's space for up to 8 cars, including 1 designated van-accessible space. Please do not park in neighboring driveways or use neighboring driveways as turnarounds.
#RecreateResponsibly
Avoid crowds: If the parking lot is full, please make plans to return another day.
Learn About The Protection of this Property
Illahee Preserve
On the leafy 5-acre Illahee Preserve near Kala Point, Chimacum Creek meanders through mature stands of second-growth western redcedar, western hemlock, bigleaf maple, Douglas fir, and grand fir.