DNR Opens Trailhead and 18 Miles of New Trails in Teanaway Community Forest

The opening completes Phase 1 of the West Fork Teanaway Trails Plan, increasing access in this popular recreation area.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) celebrated the opening of a new trailhead and 18 miles of nonmotorized trails in the Teanaway Community Forest today. The opening marks the completion of Phase 1 of the West Fork Teanaway Trails Plan, published in 2022.

The new West Teanaway Trailhead includes parking for up to 65 vehicles, open trailer parking, two ADA vault toilets, two informational kiosks, a mountain bike repair station, hitching posts for equestrians, and trail connections directly from the trailhead.

Phase 1 trails prioritize loops around popular hiking destinations including Frog Pond, Cheese Rock, and Aspen Grove. Phase 1 also prioritizes a trail connection with the Towns to Teanaway trail system on Cle Elum Ridge, which will allow trail users to access the community forest loop systems via the Big Sandy Ridge connector trail.

The Teanaway Community Forest was established as Washington's first state-owned community forest in 2013 after DNR purchased the land with legislative funding. DNR collaboratively manages the Teanaway Community Forest with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), with significant public input from a community-based advisory committee.

"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."

"It's so exciting to open these new trails in the Teanaway Community Forest," said Andrea Imler, Washington Trails Association Director of Advocacy and Strategic Transformation. "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."

"After years of planning and behind the scenes work with DNR, WDFW, and our recreation partners, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance is excited to open the new West Fork Trailhead and Phase 1 Trails," said Jesse Cunningham, Kittitas Program Manager for Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. "Creating a singletrack trail to connect the West Fork Teanaway to the top of Cle Elum Ridge and the Towns to Teanaway trails system has been a longtime goal for the mountain biking community. We are thrilled to have completed the Upper Big Sandy Trail to serve as a multi-use connector of these two trail systems."

"The Community Forest model succeeds when the people who love and value a place have a voice in its management," said Nicky Pais, Kittitas Programs Senior Manager for the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust. "As coordinators of the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area, we've seen firsthand that strong partnerships are essential to solving complex challenges. Every recreation organization involved knew what their users wanted, but DNR and WDFW opened the door and invited our groups to work together to develop a trail system that can sustainably meet a wide range of needs."

"Equestrians recreated in the Teanaway area for years before the Teanaway Community Forest was officially established," said Kathy Young, Backcountry Horsemen of Washington Public Lands Chair. "Today, Back Country Horsemen of Washington (BCHW) continues its work with DNR, and they collaborated closely with WTA and EMBA to help design, develop and build this first stage of the official trail system. BCHW looks forward to continuing this work on trails and maintaining access to the TCF for stock use and enjoyment."

Work on the next phases of the West Fork Teanaway Trails Plan over the coming years will continue expanding loop systems, improving access to trails, and will highlight restoration of the watershed in the West Fork of the Teanaway River.

Recreation opportunities on DNR-managed lands are funded from a variety of different sources. While state budgets have made cuts to the program in recent years, many projects were supported in years prior with grants and support from nonprofit partners.

Construction of West Fork Teanaway trails was funded by a Nonhighway and Off-road Vehicle Activities (NOVA) Grant from the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) in 2023, and the trailhead was funded by a Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program State Lands Development Grant from RCO in 2023. Maintenance of the new trails and trailhead will be supported by active nonprofit volunteer and user groups in the area. DNR and Commissioner Upthegrove are actively seeking solutions to ensure that ongoing maintenance funding for sites like this is increased in the future.

View a map of the West Fork Teanaway Trail System here: https://dnr.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-06/teanaway.pdf

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