Wenatchee River Valley

by Pete O'Cain, Wenatchee World

CASHMERE — The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust has helped save more than 2,000 acres in Hay and Nahahum Canyon near Cashmere for public use.

In just a few weeks, the Wenatchee Valley will celebrate what has become an unofficial holiday around here: The opening of the Wenatchee Foothills Trails on April 1.

Cashmere Canyons Preserve is a stunning landscape of expansive views, carpets of wildflowers, and sweeping views from the Columbia River to the high Cascades.

WENATCHEE — The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, working with generous private landowners, has permanently conserved over 2,000 acres in Hay and Nahahum Canyons near the town of Cashmere, Washington.

PESHASTIN — Volunteers came by the dozens on Saturday to build a riverfront trail on the old Peshastin Mill property, just west of Peshastin.

Many were members or friends of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, and the Complete the Loop Coalition.

Listen for the song of an American dipper while standing under a four hundred year old cedar tree. Feel the fur of beavers and the soft grey feathers of a great blue heron. Share lunch with a new friend in the breezy shade of a ponderosa pine. Learn from local experts, and find new places close to home to return to time and again.

In 2001, the Land Trust finalized its first conservation easement that helped preserve the character of the Wenatchee foothills. The Warm Springs easement is approximately 285 acres of shrub-steppe hillside and a canyon with a small creek that supports raptors, deer, and reptiles.

The sandstone spires of Peshastin Pinnacles have attracted rock climbers since the 1940's. By 1965, the climbing routes were well enough established to be listed in a published guide book.

The Wenatchee River valley is an abundant and thriving region. As you move from Wenatchee to Leavenworth, the landscape quickly changes from shrub lands to forests with productive orchards and vineyards dotting the way.

Mountain views, beautiful rivers, and an active local community help make Leavenworth a great place to live.  As the gateway to the Cascade Mountains, the Leavenworth area also attracts tourists, hikers, anglers, and climbers each year. Sharing this space with residents and visitors is abundant wildlife, from black bears and elk to salmon.