Glacial Heritage Preserve

Conservationists, biologists, and many others have worked hard to restore and maintain stretches of the ancient South Sound prairie, and Glacial Heritage Preserve is one epitome of those efforts. I remember helping The Nature Conservancy pull Scotch Broom there when I first moved to Olympia, and to see the preserve’s open grasslands now makes me glad. Spring is a great time to see the native Camas, Golden Indian Paintbrush, and other wildflowers. It’s an excellent time to see and hear those birds who love the South Sound prairie ecosystems, too.

This field trip is also one’s chance to see the preserve without the crowds who will be there next Satuday, May 11, for the annual Prairie Appreciation Day festival.

Expect to walk over uneven ground and path. It can be breezy there so dress for the weather. There is no need to pre-register.

To get to Glacial Heritage Preserve from the town of Littlerock, travel west on 128^th Street S.E. to intersect the Mima Road. Turn left and travel south for a couple of miles past Bordeaux Road until you reach the Weyerhauser tree nursery on the right. Continuing, you will see a road sign displaying a farm tractor on the right. The turnoff to Glacial Heritage is the next gravel road to the left after the tractor sign. Drive the gravel road for about a mile to the preserve’s parking area.