News & Press

Construction projects by Chelan County PUD will affect access to two popular trailheads in the Wenatchee Foothills this September. Please plan ahead if you are visiting Kenzie’s Landing or Saddle Rock Natural Area.

Kenzie’s Landing

The Maiden Lane Extension (gravel road to Kenzie’s Landing) will be fully closed September 8–19, 2025, while Chelan County PUD replaces the water main. Trail remains open to pedestrians-you may walk in to access the trail. 

Tiny Weevils, Big Impact: Biocontrol at Spiva Butte and Lower Sleepy Hollow

This summer, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT) teamed up with some remarkable little helpers to protect native habitat at Lower Sleepy Hollow and Spiva Butte: Larinus minutus and Bangasternus fausti—two species of seed head weevils that specialize in battling diffuse knapweed.

Exciting changes are coming to our local trail system! The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT) is working on two major trail improvement projects in the Wenatchee Foothills:

1. Saddle Rock East Trail Project – in partnership with the City of Wenatchee and an anonymous donor
2. Homewater Trail Project – in partnership with Chelan County PUD

CDLT will be contracting Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance to assist with the trail maintenance and construction efforts.

Saddle Rock East Trail Project

Curious Wenatchee area residents and visitors can use a newly published brochure to guide identification of locally common native plants and animals. The Wenatchee Area Field Guide is lightweight, waterproof, and costs $10 (includes tax). Users are introduced to over 100 native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, insects, birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Color illustrations accompany descriptive texts, helping the observer to identify species quickly. This folding pocket naturalist guide is available for purchase at the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust. 

Horse Lake Trailhead Reopens with Improved Access and New Amenities

We’re excited to share that the Horse Lake Trailhead is now open to the public! With expanded parking, upgraded paths, and enhanced accessibility features, the popular gateway to the Horse Lake Reserve is now more welcoming than ever.

A new StoryWalk® book has been installed at Jacobson Preserve in Wenatchee! Walk the beginning of the trail to read "The Mighty Pollinators" by Helen Frost.

About the book: "When you are outside on a summer's day, have you ever seen fine powder on a flower or floating on the breeze? That's pollen, almost invisible, waiting for the only thing it needs -- a ride on the wind, or a wing, or a feather. And it's the pollinators, small and mighty, who hold the world together with their work." -- Provided by publisher.

3/26/2025

CDLT Addresses Unofficial Chopper Peak Route:

The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT) has installed a sign at Castle Rock - the base of Chopper Peak/1:2 Divide - to alert hikers that the existing route is unauthorized, unmaintained, and hazardous. Continued use of this path is causing significant erosion, vegetation loss, and safety concerns.

CDLT Needs a New Neighbor in the Entiat River Valley

3/14/2025

A new StoryWalk® book has been installed at Jacobson Preserve in Wenatchee! Walk the beginning of the trail to read "Once Upon a Northern Night" by Jean E. Pendziwol.

About the book: 

In this exquisite lullaby, the beauty and wonder of a northern winter night unfold, with images of a soft snowfall, the wild animals that appear in the garden, the twinkling stars, the gentle rhythm of the northern lights and the etchings of frost on the window pane. Learn more here.

A Community Unites to Heal the Balsamroot Landscape After July 4 Wildfire

On July 4, 2024, fireworks sparked a wildfire in the Wenatchee Foothills near the Balsamroot Trail and the Broadview neighborhood. Firefighters from the Wenatchee Valley Fire Department worked tirelessly through the night, successfully extinguishing the flames within 24 hours. The fire left a 305-acre burn scar, impacting 175 acres of City of Wenatchee land and 130 acres of private property.

November 22, 2024

Contacts: Angela Morris, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust Associate Director, (509) 667-9708, [email protected]

The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust is pleased to share the Spiva Butte story, which is now featured on the Cornell Lab Land Trust Conservation Initiative website. 

Story Snip: 

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