Darlin Creek Preserve

Darlin Creek Preserve, Bruce Livingston.

CLT’s public-access preserves are open! Consider visiting natural areas close to home to reduce travel. If you notice a full parking lot, come back another day. When visiting, please follow the guidelines below. Please note that there are no garbage cans or bathrooms so plan ahead. We hope you enjoy your walk at one of our preserves as much as we enjoy protecting them. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please email daron@capitollandtrust.org.

Share your CLT preserve trail experience with us by filling out a short trail report or by sending your photos to info@capitollandtrust.org! Please include the location photos were taken and your name so that we can share.

Purchased in 2016

Property Overview:

We are pleased to announce the conservation of 312-acres in the Black River watershed near Capitol State Forest and adjacent to Capitol Land Trust’s Edwards Conservation Easement.

This acquisition is 15 years in the making. First identified as a conservation priority by The Nature Conservancy, it took nearly a decade to raise the funds to purchase the property. The landowners, Aloha Lumber Corporation, had the opportunity to sell the property as a 45-home sub-development, but gave Capitol Land Trust the opportunity to try to protect it first.

Darlin Creek Preserve protects hundreds of acres of recovering forest, 70 acres of diverse wetland habitat, Lake Lucinda, important wildlife habitat for state and federally listed species, and more than 2 miles of fish-bearing streams: Darlin, Dempsey, and Pants Creeks – all Black River tributaries that run through the property.

Thank you to the following partners:

Aloha Lumber Corporation/Obsidian Finance Group LLC
Thurston County
WA Recreation and Conservation Office
Washington Coast Restoration Initiative
The Nature Conservancy
Capitol Land Trust supporters

CLT Strategic Conservation Goals Achieved:

Conserve wetlands, riparian areas, and associated upland forests