Riding my Rockhopper out some rural roads recently, I spotted one of those blue King County Natural Area signs out of the corner of my eye and decided to have a stop.
I used to blow past these. Now, if I'm just doodling along on my bicycle, I've found them to be friendly places to get off the road and explore or to go find a rock, sit and have a snack.
This one is located on Cedar Ridge Road near the intersection of Issaquah-Hobart Road. There is no identification sign at the entrance, just a space for a couple of cars and a locked gate. The blue sign lists the rules. There's no mention of bicycles, so I scooted around the gate and pedaled down the welcome double-track.
Log cabin
The road winds through a field and into a forest alongside the meandering Issaquah Creek. When the sun broke through the clouds for a couple of minutes, it was like being a thousand miles from home. As I sat overlooking the shallow creek, I made a mental note to return in the fall when the salmon are swimming upstream to spawn.
This isn't a great place to ride; the track into the woods is less than a half-mile long. But it is a good place to quickly get away from it all.
Returning home, I contacted an official with the King County Natural Areas program and learned this site is called the Log Cabin Reach Natural Area. It's named for a summer-retreat log cabin dating back to the 1930s that overlooked the creek. The log cabin has since been demolished.
70 natural areas
The 118-acre Log Cabin Reach is one of more than 70 ecological lands totaling about 5,200 acres controlled by King County. These parcels are scattered all across the county outside of urban areas.
Every day is Earth Day at these sites. They're managed to conserve and enhance the native natural habitat and allow low-impact use by visitors. They lack the facilities and parking to discourage heavy use by visitors.
Reading through the descriptions of some Natural Areas that I've visited, it appears that some of these parcels were gifts to the county, while others were acquired for flood plain management.
Cedar River
The Cedar River certainly has its share of Natural Areas, and they're most easily accessed by the Cedar River Trail.
The same day I stopped at Log Cabin Reach, I also steered my bike down small path into the Belmondo Reach natural area between the Cedar River Trail and the Cedar River. This is another lightly used natural area that offers great views of steep bluffs on the river. In the fall, it's probably a good spot to watch the salmon runs.
There's also a rusted old artifact sitting in the field. It sports some pipes and valves, so it might have been used for irrigation, but I have no idea.
Earlier this spring, I stopped at Cavanaugh Ponds natural area along the Cedar River Trail. There is no place to park there, so cutting through the Riverbend Mobile Home Park by bicycle and riding along the levee road provides the best access.
Waterfowl must like the ponds, as I saw some wood ducks and Canada geese the day I visited. Down by the gravel bar on the river shoreline, I spotted a kingfisher zooming past.
There are too many of these natural areas in King County to make a point of visiting them all, but I certainly plan to stop if I see one of those tell-tale blue signs as pass on my bike.
Rules and regulations for Natural Areas
- No hunting or shooting.
- Overnight camping and/or campfires prohibited.
- Please don't litter. Pack out your trash.
- Cutting, picking or destruction of trees, plant life or property is prohibited.
- No motorized vehicles.
- Please stay on trail.
- Unauthorized trail construction prohibited.
- Removal of any County property is prohibited.
- Alcoholic beverages prohibited.
- All fireworks prohibited.
- Please keep pets on leash.
- This area closed after dark.
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