North Creek Forest, Protected forest in Bothell, United States

North Creek Forest is a 64-acre protected area in Bothell, Washington, with mature second-growth mixed coniferous and hardwood forest, 7 streams and 9 wetlands. It forms a one-mile-long corridor from Canyon Park Junior High School to the North Creek wetlands near the University of Washington Bothell Campus. Dominant trees include Douglas-fir, western redcedar, western hemlock and big-leaf maple.

In November 2015, Bothell received a Bravo Award grant from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board for its conservation work, helping fund the purchase of the final 22 acres. On November 8, 2016, the Bothell City Council authorized buying the last tract, completing the 64-acre forest. Restoration has been led since 2011 by the Friends of North Creek Forest with the University of Washington's Restoration Ecology Network.

The forest functions as a place where students and local volunteers regularly engage in habitat restoration and research activities. This collaborative approach between the university and community has transformed it into a learning landscape where people experience and protect the local ecosystem firsthand.

The forest stretches about one mile from Canyon Park Junior High School in the north toward the North Creek wetlands near the University of Washington Bothell campus, linking south to the Sammamish River. Restoration work since 2011 has focused on five plots of roughly a quarter acre each along the forest edges, so expect disturbed ground and invasive blackberry, ivy and reed canary grass in places.

The forest cools and filters water along a full mile of watershed, creating conditions needed by five anadromous fish species: chum, coho, sockeye, chinook and steelhead. The most common plant community is western redcedar–Douglas-fir/big-leaf maple. The forest also shelters black-tailed deer, Douglas squirrel, mountain beaver and three owl species.