Landsburg Reach and Big Bend Natural Areas

Location

From the heart of Maple Valley, head south on SE 268th Pl toward 225th Pl SE. Turn right onto 226th Pl SE, then turn left onto SE 270th Place. Turn right onto 228th Ave SE, and get on SE Summit Landsburg Road to Landsburg Road SE in Hobart, about 4 miles. Turn left onto SE 272nd Street, then continue onto SE Kent Kangley Road for less than one mile.

Turn left onto SE Summit Landsburg Rd and proceed 2.5 miles, and finally, turn left onto Landsburg Rd SE, parking at the beginning of the east end of the Cedar River Trail.

Parking

There is no parking available at Big Bend or Landsburg Reach Natural Areas. The closest parking available is at the Landsburg Trailhead, located on Landsburg Road SE approximately one mile east of the Natural Area by way of the Cedar River Trail.

Park activities and facilities

Forestry Projects

Landsburg Forest Health Work

Project Overview:

King County Parks is planning a forest thinning project on 29 acres to improve forest health and improve habitat. Work will most likely take place in 2026.  This is the same work that was proposed in 2024 but has undergone delays. Parks will plant trees resistant to root rot the following spring to increase forest diversity and resilience to this persistent fungal disease. A virtual public meeting took place on October 28, 2025. View the public meeting PowerPoint presentation, which includes an aerial map of the project location.

Project Details:

The County will cut and remove a portion of maturing Douglas-fir across 29 acres of upland forest. This stand of trees is very dense homogenous Douglas-fir riddled with root rot, leading to stressed and dying trees and rapid loss of canopy cover and carbon. Thinning will retain the biggest and best trees and allow them to have more light and water to continue growing. This project will also expand the root rot openings to slow the spread into unaffected areas. Blow-down (trees falling over in wind) is likely to take place after the thinning, and is an anticipated part of the forest’s long-term recovery.

The cut trees will be sold to regional mills. Approximately half the trees will be cut and removed. The contract specifies that the smallest trees are to be cut and the biggest trees will be retained. Any revenue from the project will be used for tree planting, invasive plant control, and other forest restoration activities.

Extensive tree planting in the following spring will establish rot-resistant native tree species to form the next generation of this forest. Species will include blister rust-resistant varieties of western white pine, western redcedar, and potentially shore pine and ponderosa pine. Similar forestry thinning projects took place at nearby Henry’s Ridge and Ravensdale Retreat in 2018 and 2019.

There are no trails within the project area. The Cedar River Trail and Trailhead will remain open, though flaggers may be controlling trail use for 1 to 3 days while tree cutting takes place. Log trucks will access via SE 247th St. No new trails or recreation infrastructure is planned following this project. A previously proposed frisbee course will not happen – that form of recreational development is prohibited under the terms of the funding source the County used to purchase this parcel. Parks will patrol for dumping.

The County submitted a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) checklist and Determination of Non-Significance in January 2026, which can be viewed on our public notices page. The SEPA Checklist describes the project and its impacts in greater detail than is shown on this website. The County will obtain a Washington Department of Natural Resources Forest Practices permit before work begins.

For questions or comments, please contact King County’s senior forester Paul Fischer at 206-817-8259 or pfischer@kingcounty.gov.