Shaping Destination Stewardship in the Snoqualmie River Valley

The Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area spans regional watersheds across the I-90 corridor from Seattle to Ellensburg. One of these regions, the Snoqualmie River Valley, is home to some of our organization’s longest standing collaborations. Over the past 35 years, we’ve worked with partners to ensure the Valley remains a place where residents and visitors can connect with the natural, cultural, and historic elements that define its unique heritage. During this time, we’ve launched several initiatives, like Savor Snoqualmie, and notably played a key role in securing congressional designation for the entire landscape as the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area. 

Through all of this, we’ve learned that collaborative partnerships and mission-driven projects thrive in the Snoqualmie River Valley, where our work inspires action to conserve and enhance the landscape of the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area, ensuring a long-term balance between people and nature. Building on the successes of initiatives like Savor Snoqualmie, we’ve integrated key elements into our broader programs and partnership work, strengthening our collective impact in the Valley as a National Heritage Area.

By narrowing our focus, we have been able to concentrate on hands-on projects in salmon recovery and trail maintenance. We’ve also been working to build long-term relationships between individuals and organizations focused on preserving cultural heritage, outdoor recreation, and visitor management – all closely tied to our mission.  

This experience has allowed us to bring valuable expertise into the newly forming Destination Leadership team, which will shape the future of tourism in the region. Our staff served on the steering committee for the Snoqualmie Valley Tourism Workspace, a process led by SnoValley Chamber of Commerce, State of Washington Tourism, Port of Seattle, the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, and Crosscurrent Collective. This work included four community workshops and several steering committee meetings to identify and prioritize next steps for the future of tourism. Through this process, six priority projects and areas were identified: 

• Trailhead Ambassadors & Responsible Visitor Communications
• Visitor Transportation Action Team
• Valley-Wide Destination Brand Development
• Valley-Wide Heritage Trail
• Valley-Wide Map Murals
• Creation of a Destinations Management & Marketing Organization

We learned that no matter what unfolds next, tourism efforts must honor and protect the region’s culture, heritage, and natural resources while inviting visitors to take part in caring for these cherished assets. We look forward to remaining a stakeholder in this effort and championing an environmental stewardship ethic for all who live, work, and play in the beloved and dynamic Snoqualmie River Valley.