Natural Area Preserves (dnr.wa.gov)

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Natural Area Preserves protect the best remaining examples of many ecological communities including rare plant and animal habitat. The preserve system presently includes more than 41,483 acres in 58 sites throughout the state.

Bald Hill Natural Area Preserve (dnr.wa.gov) This preserve supports an unusual number of habitats and plant communities, including streamsides, mossy rocks, cliff crevices, seasonally wet grassland, Oregon white oak woodland, and exposed rock outcrops. The 314-acre site also protects four state Sensitive plant species, including common blue-cup, nuttall’s quilwort, California sword fern, and small flowered trillium. The grassland community is delicately perched on massive rocky bald hillsides dotted with oak trees. Wildflowers are abundant in the spring, including camas lilies, blue-eyed grass, Puget balsamroot (a sunflower-like plant), yellow and blue violets, chocolate lilies, harvest brodiea, dwarf monkey-flower, farewell to spring, Nuttall’s larkspur, blue-eyed Mary, and others.