The 460 acre Rhododendron Preserve is owned and operated by the Mountaineers Foundation. Located in central Kitsap County, the property is one of the largest remaining parcels of Puget Sound Lowland old growth forest in the Puget Sound Basin. The headwaters of Chico creek are on the property and is home to one of the most active Chum salmon runs in the southern Puget Sound region. Above the streams are stands of old growth fir, cedar, hemlock and pine. In some areas the trees are one to two hundred years old; in other areas three to four hundred years or older, with many specimens five to seven feet in diameter at breast height. Salmonberry, salal, Oregon grape, swordfern, devil’s club, huckleberry and rhododendron blanket the forest floor, often to a depth of six feet or more. Rhododendrons are everywhere, blooming in late May and early June. Mosses and lichens add color and texture to the area.

The Foundation operates the property, maintains trail, eliminates invasive and non-native species and seeks to acquire buffer property to expand and protect the Preserve. Click the map for a larger version in Adobe Acrobat format.

Help us protect this precious resource with a donation to our Rhododendron Preserve Fund.