Explore the Preserve
Walking Trails
The Riverside and Meadowside trails cover more than two and a half miles forest and field. Enjoy the shade of the trees, stroll past acres of pasture and grassland, view the Chehalis River from the steep banks to the east or walk down to the rock beach and watch the river flow by.
Geography
The Riverbend Preserve features steep hills, a rolling meadow, seasonal streams and duck ponds, wetlands, old-growth forest, high-sandstone cliffs, and pebble-lined beaches along the Chehalis riverbank.
The Preserve is bordered by the Chehalis River to the north, east, and south, while the west border opens onto more than 8000 acres of thriving public forest managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Guests are encouraged to explore the many miles of trails through this beautiful wilderness.
Wildlife
The Riverbend Preserve is home to large grazing species including elk from the Willapa Hills herd who make their way daily across the meadow, often crossing from the hills to the river. When the grass is tall, many of them also bed down in the meadow overnight.
Other local species include:
Black-tailed deer
Black bears & coyotes
River otters & beavers
Porcupines, rabbits, & Douglas squirrels
Bald eagles, hawks, & falcons
A wide variety of song birds, field mice, shrews, snails, slugs, & insects
Guided Tours
Take in key landmarks and explore diverse geological features
Hear histories and legends
Private lunch served at the end of your tour
Interested? Send us a note!
The south meadow in summer
There's nothing like a roaring campfire on a chilly evening
It does get cold from time to time
The Basalt Stone Pit in the hills above Riverbend Lane
Garden of the Moss Spiders
A brisk December afternoon
A window to the meadow through the green forest
Across the Chehalis River, looking south into the Preserve
Sneaking a shot of a grazing Blacktail deer
Elk from the Willapa Hills herd grazing in the north meadow
Summers on the Preserve are quite lovely
The Five Counselors (you can find them on the Riverside Trail)
Thick falling snow creates an almost indescribably peaceful silence
The Chehalis River rounding the southeast corner of the Preserve
The annual hay harvest in progress
The Chehalis curving west above the north meadow
The Maiden in her Copse
The Sentinel, standing watch in the south meadow
Lanterns on the summer solstice
Ringwraith's Hollow in summer
Ringwraith's Hollow in fall
Ringwraith's Hollow in winter
Ringwraith's Hollow in spring
Hansford Overlook; the Preserve below and the Willapa Hills in the distance
A view west from the top of Riverbend Lane to the town of Doty below
Mount Rainier viewed from Doty
A beautiful sky to the east over the barn