Natural Area Preserves
   

Natural Area Preserves protect the best remaining examples of many ecological communities including rare plant and animal habitat. The preserve system presently includes more than 41,344 acres in 58 sites throughout the state.
 

Adams County

 
This site protects native shrub-grasslands, once widespread in this part of the Columbia Basin. 
 

Chelan County

 
This preserve contains the largest known populations of two plant species endemic to the Wenatchee Mountains. 
 
This site contains one of the largest known populations of a state Threatened plant, the Thompson's clover. 
 
This site protects the largest known populations of Whited's milkvetch, a state Endangered plant species. 
 

Clark County

 
This combined natural area preserve (NAP) and natural resources conservation area (NRCA) protects the best known remnant of the Willamette Valley wet prairie ecosystem in Washington. 
 
This combined NAP/NRCA protects the largest high-quality Oregon white oak woodland in western Washington. 
 

Douglas County

 
This site contains the largest remaining high-quality shrub-grassland ecosystems in the northwest Columbia Basin. 
 

Franklin County

 
This preserve is one of the last examples of the native arid grassland of the eastern Columbia Basin. 
 

Grant County

 
This site supports unusually well preserved examples of eastern Washington's shrub speckled grassland. 
 

Grays Harbor County

 
This site supports a diverse and undisturbed example of a sphagnum bog ecosystem and connected lake. 
 
This preserve contains the largest and best quality tidal surge plain wetland in the state. 
 
This island has supported a large colony of nesting seabirds including gulls, brants, and long billed curlew. 
 
This preserve contains one of the highest quality coastal freshwater and sphagnum bog systems in Washington. 
 
This sandy accretion island protects nesting seabird colonies, including historic caspian tern nesting. 
 
This island in Grays Harbor supports nesting seabird colonies, including western gulls and caspian terns. 
 

Island County

 
This site protects an endangered plant species, the golden paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta).
 

Jefferson County

 
This site protects three sphagnum moss bog ecosystems and sheltering forested drainages.
 
This preserve protects the only known example of a 'raised plateau' bog in the western conterminous United States.
 
This preserve supports one of the few Puget Trough harbor coastal spits still in good condition.
 

King County

 
This preserve protects 110-145 year old tree stands, which provide habitat for northern spotted owl.
 
This site preserves sphagnum bogs and a 2 acre "eyelet" pond; both are extremely rare ecosystems in the Puget Trough.
 
This preserve protects a sphagnum moss bog, which is now extremely rare in the Puget Trough. 
 

Kitsap County

 
This site protects extensive, unlogged mature forests in the central and southern Puget Trough ecoregion. 
 

Klickitat County

 
This preserve protects native grasslands and oak savannas unique to south-central Washington.
 
This preserve contains high-quality examples of native shrub-grassland ecosystems that were once abundant.
 
This area contains the largest remnant of one of Washington's rarest types of grassland ecosystems.
 
This site contains examples of grand fir communities found in the lower part of the Eastern Cascades.
 
This preserve is home to one of four remaining Washington populations of the Oregon spotted frog.
 

Lincoln County

 
This preserve contains remnant examples of Douglas-fir/ponderosa pine forest and shrub-grassland. 
 

Mason County

 
This fragile ecosystem hosts nearly 200 plant, moss and lichen species on grassy balds atop oceanic basalt rock.
 
This site preserves a low-elevation wetland and bog complex that includes three parallel, elongated basins and their watersheds.
 
This site preserves an Oregon white oak woodland and an Oregon white oak-Douglas-fir mosaic.
 
This site protects an example of the imperiled Sitka alder/ skunk cabbage/ water parsley community. 
 
This site preserves important examples of wetland ecosystems in the lower Puget Sound area.
 

Mason and Thurston County

 
This site protects most of the Kennedy Creek watershed and estuary on the Puget Sound, including salt marsh, tide flats, uplands and riparian forests. 
 

Okanogan County

 
This preserve protects examples of shrub-grassland ecosystems (shrub-steppe).
 
This preserve protects 14 state Sensitive plant species.
 
This site contains some of the best examples of the shub-steppe ecosystems that once flourished in Washington state.
 
This site protects examples of native shrub-grassland once found over much of the valley and foothills.
 
This preserve contains examples of two rare types of native shrub-grassland ecosystems. 
 

Pacific County

 
This preserve contains the finest salt marshes remaining in Willapa Bay.
 
This preserve protects nesting seabird colonies, including the rare snowy plover. 
 
This preserve contains some of the highest quality salt marsh vegetation remaining in Willapa Bay.
 
This preserve protects old growth silver fir, Western hemlock, and Western red cedar.
 

San Juan County

 
This preserve protects the "rain shadow" vegetation which occurs in the San Juan Islands. 
 

Skagit County

 
This preserve includes rare freshwater wetlands and native fescue grasslands on rocky balds.
 
This site preserves native vegetation on serpentine soils at low elevations in the Western Cascades. 
 
This area is a critical bald eagle winter roosting site.
 

Skamania County

 
This site protects two state Threatened and four Sensitive plants and one state Threatened animal.
 

Spokane County

 
This site preserves the largest remaining example of a ponderosa pine/grassland ecosystem. 
 

Stevens County

 
This site protects a mosaic of wetlands, providing habitat for wildlife and two state Sensitive plants. 
 
The limestone cliffs of the 760-acre Trombetta Canyon NAP provide habitat for two rare plant species, yellow mountain avens and Steller’s rockbrake. 
 

Thurston County

 
This preserve protects an unusual number of habitats, plant communities and four state Sensitive plant species.
 
This preserve protects the best remaining example of the unusual "mima mound" landscape. 
 
This site preserves an example of the "mima mound" landscape, and native Puget prairie grassland.
 

Whatcom County

 
This site supports the largest population of several-flowered sedge known to occur in Washington.
 

Yakima County

 
This preserve supports the largest known population of a rare plant known as the basalt daisy.