Road Notes: Community Conservation Conference – Wenatchee, WA

November 30, 2016

Coalition staff attended WALT’s Community Conservation Conference in Wenatchee this month and took time to visit the City’s iconic Saddle Rock.  


Nestled between the eastern foothills of the Cascade Range and the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers, the Wenatchee Valley is brimming with outdoor recreation opportunities. Quickly becoming a hub for outdoor enthusiasts, the city is attracting recreational groups from across the state and conservation leaders.

Coalition staff had a chance to visit Wenatchee and attend the Community Conservation Conference led by the Washington Association of Land Trusts. The conference brought together leaders of the conservation community and focused on new ways of connecting people in our communities with conservation and the natural world. Staff had a chance to connect with groups from across the state and take a moment to visit some of their incredible work in the surrounding valley.

One of Wenatchee’s most iconic natural landmarks is Saddle Rock. Now one of the most popular hiking trails in the area, this WWRP project site services a diverse population of users and connects the neighboring community to the outdoors.

The City of Wenatchee, in coordination with the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, used two WWRP grant to purchase and develop the 325-acre Saddle Rock property, located adjacent to the city’s urban growth boundary in the Wenatchee Foothills.

Currently, work is being done to construct parking spaces, restrooms, interpretation/education stations, and shade structures, as well as an outdoor classroom, an ADA accessible trail,  and the planting of native and drought-tolerant landscaping.