Trip Date: March 21st, 2021
Went on a short day excursion out to the Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve. The preserve is maintained by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and consists of both the Mima Mounds prairie land and a grove of Gary Oak (Quercus garryana) trees. The interesting topography of the mounds provides a unique contrast to the surrounding landscape of hemlock and fir trees.
After visiting the mounds we traveled in and through the southern end of the Capital State Forest. While we only had a brief visit today, I received a good impression of this place and am looking forward to multiple return trips in the future. The forest has over 100,000 acres of forest to explore with 100s of miles of gravel roads available for access via automobile, horse, bike or foot. The drive along the Cedar River provided a great opportunity to observe the bright green color of moss growing all over trees.
