Naches Trail Preserve

Seattle–Tacoma area

May is the perfect time to enjoy native flowers in bloom and a landscape alive with birdsong in this Pierce County Parks preserve.

By Leslie Romer

The Naches Trail Preserve is a 40-acre natural area where native plants are protected and their praises sung by a wide range of the region’s birdlife. The area offers a good opportunity to visit wildlands without a long hike. Protecting wildlife and their habitat is the priority here — pets and dogs are not allowed.

Blue and green park signs at the western end of the parking lot beckon walkers to the 0.4-mile gravel loop trail. Attractive split rail fences border some parts of the path while chain link fences mark wetland boundaries and other protected areas.

All three lowland habitats in the preserve appear beside the southern section of the loop trail. The prairie mounds are tan in fall and winter, a deep carpet of blue camas blossoms in May and a multicolored wildflower display through the summer. Chest-high wetland plants, notably cattails, grow south of the fences. And a conifer-covered ridge rises beyond the wetland, forming the undeveloped southern boundary of the preserve. Toward the western end of the current loop trail, tall, rangy Garry oaks rise above Oregon grape thickets. Each habitat supports a different bird population, from hummingbirds to hawks. A bench at the northwest corner of the preserve offers clear views of Mount Rainier framed between stately Garry oaks — an excellent place to pause for reflection.

WTA pro tip: Restrooms, picnic tables and a playground are available at the Stan and Joan Cross Park, just across from the parking lot. Pets and dogs are welcome in that park.

Distance: 0.4 mile roundtrip ◆ Elevation gain: Minimal

Highest elevation: 340 feet ◆ Map: piercecountywa.gov/1399/NachesTrail-Preserve ◆ Permit: None ◆ Dogs: No dogs or pets

Info: wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/naches-trail-preserve

Trailhead: From I-5, head toward Puyallup on WA-512. Drive 5.7 miles and exit onto Canyon Road E. Turn south toward Frederickson. Drive 3.7 miles and turn right onto Military Road E. Drive 0.7 mile, watching for blue Pierce County Park signs. Turn left onto 43rd Avenue Court E, just past the signs for Naches Trail Preserve and Stan and Joan Cross Park. Turn into the preserve’s paved parking lot on the right. There are several accessible parking spaces on the right side and sidewalks all around the lot’s perimeter.

Nearby Hikes

Foothills Trail: A paved walk and bicycle path that extends 21 miles in Pierce County, from East Puyallup to Buckley. The most scenic section offers views of the Carbon River, South Prairie Creek and Mount Rainier in 3.5 miles with little elevation gain, starting south from the trailhead in downtown Orting. (7 miles roundtrip, minimal elevation gain)

Breseman Forest Trails: Enter the forest from the western edge of the Sprinker Recreation Center parking lot, near Spire Rock. The main trails provide a short loop, with primitive connecting trails offering a variety of additional options. (1.3 miles roundtrip, minimal elevation gain)

Leslie Romer is the author of “Lost Fire Lookout Hikes” and “Histories: Olympic Peninsula and Willapa Hills.”