Celebrating a New Trailhead and 18 Miles of New Trails in the Teanaway Community Forest
National Trails Day, June 6, 2026, marked the official opening of the West Teanaway Trailhead and the first phase of the West Fork Teanaway Trails. The new 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 includes 18 miles of new, nonmotorized trails, including loops around popular hiking destinations such as Frog Pond, Cheese Rock, and Aspen Grove. Phase 1 also prioritized 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.
A Trail System Created Through Partnerships
This project has been in the works since Washington State acquired the land that is now the Teanaway Community Forest back in 2014. The Community Forest model succeeds when the people who love and value a place have a voice in its management.
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.
With the long-term goal of a 55-mile multi-use trail system in the community forest, a wide array of partner groups and volunteers contributed to the Management Plan, the Recreation Plan, and the West Fork Trails Coalition to support DNR’s implementation of a phased trail plan. The West Fork Trails project brings user-built trails up to standard and adds or reroutes sections so that the trails are environmentally sustainable, fit for many nonmotorized users, off private property, and avoid sensitive habitat while drawing people closer to the features they love, like viewpoints.
Phase One Highlights
Phase 1 of the West Fork Trails Plan began in 2022, when our coalition partners enhanced, created, and/or rerouted the Upper Big Sandy Trail (Kittitas Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance); a new climbing trail for Lower Big Sandy Trail (Kittitas EMBA); and the Frog Pond Loop (Washington Trails Association).
Mountains to Sound Greenway volunteers worked with our staff on improvements to the Cheese Rock Trail, adding a mountain bike down track off the sandstone slab, building retaining walls for sandy trail, improving switchbacks, and decommissioning footpaths that were eroding the hillside. Each user group provided feedback on trail designs and flagged routes, then had the opportunity to check each other’s work so the trail system could truly be functional for all users.
The Backcountry Horsemen of Washington also began work on Aspen Loop, which will be continued in Phase 2. As of the 2026 National Trails Day celebration, all Phase 1 trails are signed, and Phase 2 is beginning. Now, the West Fork Trails link the Teanaway to the communities of Cle Elum, Roslyn, and Ronald via the Towns to Teanaway Trails.
While volunteers worked on the trails, DNR proactively planned for increased visitation and built out a new parking area with vault toilets. They installed a bike repair station, kiosks, and signs with trail information at the new West Teanaway Trailhead. The trailhead has a design that flows naturally on the landscape and left many trees standing.
To celebrate this exciting milestone, we’re sharing some of our favorite moments from Phase 1:
