Federation Forest State Park, Natural reserve in King County, US
Federation Forest State Park is a 619-acre (251 ha) state park on the White River in King County, 15 miles east of Enumclaw on Route 410. Its old-growth forest holds Douglas fir, western hemlock, Sitka spruce and western redcedar. Seven miles of trails fan out from the Catherine Montgomery Interpretive Center, which has exhibits and a native plant garden.
The land was protected from logging in 1928 when the Washington chapter of the General Federation of Women's Clubs purchased it from a timber company. This action preserved a valuable forest stand in the region.
The Catherine Montgomery Interpretive Center, built with money from the estate of a local teacher and GFWC-WS member who died in 1958, holds exhibits on the General Federation of Women's Clubs and the early presence of the Salish people along the White River. Outside stands a native plant identification garden with markers for over two dozen plants.
The park lies on Route 410, 15 miles east of Enumclaw and about 30 miles below Chinook Pass. Trails fan out from the Catherine Montgomery Interpretive Center, from the 0.5-mile Land of the Giants loop to the 2.75-mile North Trail across Highway 410. The Esther Maltby Trail along the White River is primitive and changes with winter storms and spring floods.
The Naches Trail through the park follows the route the Salish used to cross the Cascades by Naches Pass; it later served as an early route to Fort Steilacoom and was abandoned by 1884 for easier crossings.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,864 contributors worldwide.