Visiting Chimacum Ridge Community Forest

What You’ll See

Chimacum Ridge Community Forest is a working forest with a mix of Douglas fir, western redcedar, red alder, and bigleaf maple. Multiple trails provide easy and moderate hiking opportunities through the forest. A short trail to the left of the trailhead and parking lot leads to a covered community pavilion that was built by local volunteers using wood harvested from the forest for outdoor education and more. Two trails lead from the lower forested area to the Forest Road Loop trail. From there, you can take a spur trail past the cell tower to explore the northern viewpoints with excellent views of Beaver and Center Valleys, and beyond.

The forest is managed as a community forest, to provide ecological, economic, and social benefits to the residents of East Jefferson County.

Visitor Information

Activities

Allowed: Hiking, biking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, and informal nature studies are encouraged. Dogs are allowed and must be kept on a leash at all times for the safety of other visitors and wildlife. Please pick up and pack out your dog’s waste. Foraging and gathering is allowed for personal use only; visitors may collect small quantities of plant materials, berries, mushrooms, and other natural resources for personal consumption or use.

Group or Special Use: to request permission to visit Chimacum Ridge Community Forest with your group of 12 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.

Use of the Community Pavilion: The community pavilion may be reserved for small family gatherings, educational activities, Chimacum Ridge Community Forest sponsored events, and other publicly accessible events. When not reserved or occupied, the community pavilion is available for all general use.

• Use of the community pavilion is prioritized for educational use.
• Nonprofit organizations, and any educational organizations hoping to use the community pavilion should fill out this use request form.
• For-profit organizations planning to use the pavilion or offer courses in the community forest need to fill out this use request form and provide proof of insurance.

Horseback Riding: The existing parking area is too small for horse trailer turnaround. Plans are underway for an expansion of the parking lot to allow horse trailers to pull through (hopefully by summer 2026). In the meantime, horseback riders may access Chimacum Ridge via the DNR Access Trail from Egg and I Road. See trail information below.

Hunting: Bow hunting of deer is allowed on the southern half of Chimacum Ridge during limited seasons. Signs will be posted on the Forest Road Loop Trail to indicate the hunting use line. The Chimacum Ridge Hunting Policy is available on the Chimacum Ridge Community Forest Policies page.

Not Allowed: use of motorized vehicles or electric bicycles, hunting with a firearm, littering, fires, unauthorized tree cutting, and camping.

The current policies for Chimacum Ridge are available on the Chimacum Ridge Community Forest Policies page.

Trails

• Pavilion Trail: A 0.1-mile (5-minute) wheelchair accessible trail that leads from the parking area across a year-round creek to the community pavilion and nature studies area. The trail is 4-6 feet wide. The gradient is generally below 5%, although an approximately 20-foot long section approaches 12% as visitors climb above a small 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.
• Maple Grove Trail: A short (3-minute) spur through a scenic maple grove accessible from the Pavilion Trail. The trail has a dirt-surface, is 1-2 feet wide, and requires navigating some roots and seasonally muddy areas. The trail is approximately 5-15% grade.
• Hiking Trail: A 0.4 mile (12-minute) trail rises 300+ feet to the Forest Road Loop in the upper part of the community forest. The trail has a dirt-surface, is 2-3 feet wide, and requires navigating some roots and seasonally muddy areas. The trail is approximately 5-15% grade.
• Loop Trail: A 0.5-mile (13-minute) trail of mixed gradients can be visited in different segments, or as a complete loop. The trail leads from the parking area up above a year-round creek and along a forested slope before returning to the Multiuse Trail.
• Viewpoint Trail: A 0.1-mile (5-minute) wheelchair-accessible trail leads to a viewpoint with turnaround space and a bench. This trail is 6-feet wide and 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.
• Multiuse Trail: A 0.4 mile (15-minute) trail which rises 200 feet to the Forest Road Loop. The trail is 6-feet wide and is made of compact 3/4-inch minus gravel to provide a stable surface for hikers, bikes and horses. The trail does broad switchbacks through a recent harvest area; the harvest was designed to improve the habitat.
• Forest Road Loop Trail: A 2.9 mile (90-minute) maintained forest road. The road has a compact surface with mowed verges and is mainly flat with a modest grade at the north end.
• North Forest Road Trail: A 0.6 mile (20-minute) forest road that leads to two viewpoints. The road has a compact surface with mowed verges and is mainly flat.
  • Olympics Viewpoint: This viewpoint looks east into Beaver Valley with views of the Cascade Mountains.
  • Cascades Viewpoint: This viewpoint looks west into Center Valley with views of Chimacum District Schools, Tamanowas Rock, and the Olympic Mountains.
• DNR Access Trail: A 0.2 mile rough, unmaintained trail leads to the adjacent Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) forest that is accessible from Egg and I Road.

Trail Etiquette

• Stay to the right.
• Slow down and communicate when passing.
• Hikers yield to horses. Bicycles yield to hikers and horses.
• Keep dogs leashed at all times.

TRAIL MAP: Here’s a trail map to assist with your exploration.

Please Show Respect and Be Careful not to Trespass

The Chimacum Ridge Community Forest is bordered by private land. While enjoying the forest, please be mindful and avoid trespassing onto neighboring properties.

Amenities

• There’s a wheelchair-accessible sanican at the parking area. There are no restroom facilities in the upper part of the community forest.
• There are benches for resting and quiet contemplation located at the end of Maple Grove Trail and Viewpoint Trail. Benches to admire the view and catch your breath are also in various places along the Multiuse Trail.
• A 26 x 36-foot covered community pavilion provides a gathering place for organized educational and other activities.
• A non-motorized wheelchair is available at the Land Trust office. Please contact info[at]saveland.org to make arrangements to borrow it for free.

Getting There

Operating Hours: Open year-round, from dawn to dusk. Certain areas or the entire forest may be closed temporarily for safety reasons (e.g., inclement weather, timber harvest, or hunting activities).

Address: 1717 Center Road, Chimacum

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.

Parking: Space for up to 12 cars, including 1 designated van-accessible space. Please do not park in the driveway or in neighboring driveways or use neighboring driveways as turnarounds.

#RecreateResponsibly. Leave no trace. Pack it in, pack it out. Avoid crowds: If the parking lot is full, please make plans to return another day.

In case of Emergency. Call 911. Emergency services have a key to the gate that gives them access to the upper portion of Chimacum Ridge. There are emergency placards on the trail posts; please share the number of the post nearest to you with the dispatcher.