Chinook Bend Natural Area

The Chinook Bend Natural Area is a 58-acre peninsula located 1 mile downstream from Tolt-MacDonald Park in the Snoqualmie River floodplain just east of Seattle. The area is named for the Chinook salmon that return to the Snoqualmie River and all of its tributaries, as many as 20% of which spawn near the bend.

In 2000, the site, which is dominated by natural freshwater wetlands, old pasture, young conifers, and old-growth black cottonwood stands, was donated to King County by the Nestle Corporation for the express purpose of preserving and restoring the natural habitat of the bend. Because of this mandate, access onto the site is limited to a few primitive trails and old gravel roads. This access is more than enough to provide a means for taking a short stroll and enjoying the park's wildlife, including great blue herons, beaver, various migratory waterfowl, red-winged blackbirds, cedar waxwings, and numerous species of swallows.