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 41,483 acres in 58 sites throughout the state.


Adams County

Marcellus Shrub Steppe NAP

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


Chelan County

Camas Meadows NAP

This preserve contains the largest known populations of two plant species endemic to the Wenatchee Mountains.

Entiat Slopes NAP

This site contains one of the largest known populations of a state Threatened plant, the Thompson's clover.

Upper Dry Gulch NAP

This site protects the largest known populations of Whited's milkvetch, a state Endangered plant species.


Clark County

Lacamas Prairie Natural Area

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.

Washougal Oaks Natural Area

This combined NAP/NRCA protects the largest high-quality Oregon white oak woodland in western Washington.


Douglas County

The Two-Steppe NAP

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


Franklin County

Kahlotus Ridgetop NAP

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


Grant County

Castle Rock NAP

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


Grays Harbor County

Carlisle Bog NAP

This site supports a diverse and undisturbed example of a sphagnum bog ecosystem and connected lake.

Chehalis River Surge Plain NAP

This preserve contains the largest and best quality tidal surge plain wetland in the state.

Goose Island NAP

This island has supported a large colony of nesting seabirds including gulls, brants, and long billed curlew.

North Bay NAP

This preserve contains one of the highest quality coastal freshwater and sphagnum bog systems in Washington.

Sand Island NAP

This sandy accretion island protects nesting seabird colonies, including historic caspian tern nesting.

Whitcomb Flats NAP

This island in Grays Harbor supports nesting seabird colonies, including western gulls and caspian terns.


Island County

Admiralty Inlet NAP

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


Jefferson County

Clearwater Bogs NAP

This site protects three sphagnum moss bog ecosystems and sheltering forested drainages.

Crowberry Bog NAP

This preserve protects the only known example of a 'raised plateau' bog in the western conterminous United States.

Dabob Bay NAP

This preserve supports one of the few Puget Trough harbor coastal spits still in good condition.


King County

Charley Creek NAP

This preserve protects 110-145 year old tree stands, which provide habitat for northern spotted owl.

Kings Lake Bog NAP

This site preserves sphagnum bogs and a 2 acre "eyelet" pond; both are extremely rare ecosystems in the Puget Trough.

Snoqualmie Bog NAP

This preserve protects a sphagnum moss bog, which is now extremely rare in the Puget Trough.


Kitsap County

Kitsap Forest NAP

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


Klickitat County

Badger Gulch NAP

This preserve protects native grasslands and oak savannas unique to south-central Washington.

Cleveland Shrub Steppe NAP

This preserve contains high-quality examples of native shrub-grassland ecosystems that were once abundant.

Columbia Hills NAP

This area contains the largest remnant of one of Washington's rarest types of grassland ecosystems.

Monte Cristo NAP

This site contains examples of grand fir communities found in the lower part of the Eastern Cascades.

Trout Lake NAP

This preserve is home to one of four remaining Washington populations of the Oregon spotted frog.


Lincoln County

Spring Creek Canyon NAP

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


Mason County

Hamma Hamma Balds NAP

This fragile ecosystem hosts nearly 200 plant, moss and lichen species on grassy balds atop oceanic basalt rock.

Ink Blot NAP

This site preserves a low-elevation wetland and bog complex that includes three parallel, elongated basins and their watersheds.

Oak Patch NAP

This site preserves an Oregon white oak woodland and an Oregon white oak-Douglas-fir mosaic.

Schumacher Creek NAP

This site protects an example of the imperiled Sitka alder/ skunk cabbage/ water parsley community.

Skookum Inlet NAP

This site preserves important examples of wetland ecosystems in the lower Puget Sound area.


Mason and Thurston County

Kennedy Creek Natural Area

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

Barker Mountain NAP

This preserve protects examples of shrub-grassland ecosystems (shrub-steppe).

Chopaka Mountain NAP

This preserve protects 14 state Sensitive plant species.

Davis Canyon NAP

This site contains some of the best examples of the shub-steppe ecosystems that once flourished in Washington state.

Methow Rapids NAP

This site protects examples of native shrub-grassland once found over much of the valley and foothills.

Riverside Breaks NAP

This preserve contains examples of two rare types of native shrub-grassland ecosystems.


Pacific County

Bone River NAP

This preserve contains the finest salt marshes remaining in Willapa Bay.

Gunpowder Island NAP

This preserve protects nesting seabird colonies, including the rare snowy plover.

Niawiakum River NAP

This preserve contains some of the highest quality salt marsh vegetation remaining in Willapa Bay.

Willapa Divide NAP

This preserve protects old growth silver fir, Western hemlock, and Western red cedar.


San Juan County

Point Doughty NAP

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


Skagit County

Cypress Highlands NAP

This preserve includes rare freshwater wetlands and native fescue grasslands on rocky balds.

Olivine Bridge NAP

This site preserves native vegetation on serpentine soils at low elevations in the Western Cascades.

Skagit Bald Eagle NAP

This area is a critical bald eagle winter roosting site.


Skamania County

Columbia Falls NAP

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


Spokane County

Pinecroft NAP

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


Stevens County

Little Pend Oreille River NAP

This site protects a mosaic of wetlands, providing habitat for wildlife and two state Sensitive plants.

Trombetta Canyon NAP

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

Bald Hill NAP

This preserve protects an unusual number of habitats, plant communities and four state Sensitive plant species.

Mima Mounds NAP

This preserve protects the best remaining example of the unusual "mima mound" landscape.

Rocky Prairie NAP

This site preserves an example of the "mima mound" landscape, and native Puget prairie grassland.


Whatcom County

Dailey Prairie NAP

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


Yakima County

Selah Cliffs NAP

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