FORKS — Shuttles will take visitors from Tillicum Park to the trailhead of the Elk Creek Conservation Area every 15 minutes from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.
The North Olympic Land Trust is celebrating the grand opening of the 255-acre Elk Creek Conservation Area, its first-ever public recreation and education property, with refreshments and guided tours of the 2.5-mile round-trip trail.
Visitors are urged to dress for a hike. There will be no parking at the trailhead during the event.
Restored trail
The land trust, which manages and conserves thousands of acres of ecologically and economically vital habitat on the Olympic Peninsula, restored the trail on the land one mile east of Forks.
It was once Rayonier property and was donated to the land trust by the Wild Salmon Center to protect the creek used by chinook salmon for spawning.
Free, open to public
Access to the conservation area will be free and open to the public.
Appearances are planned by Forks Mayor Bryon Monohon and by Sequim Democrats Steve Tharinger and Kevin Van De Wege, both state representatives for the 24th District, which covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County.
Tharinger also is a Clallam County commissioner who will not run for re-election.
Linda Barnfather, who works as an aide to Van De Wege and who is running against Republican Jim McEntire for Tharinger’s seat on the Board of County Commissioners, also is expected to attend.
Spawning pools
The Elk Creek area supports one-third of the coho salmon spawning pools for the Calawah River and is also habitat for elk, marbled murrelet and other wildlife, the land trust said.
Funded by a U.S. Forest Service grant, the land trust prepared the area for nonmotorized public recreation and environmental use.
Crews restored natural habitat, redirected trails and added a bridge, interpretative signs and an information kiosk.
More information can be found at www.nolt.org or www.facebook.com/ConservingOlympicPeninsula.
