Chapters are Everywhere!
Over the last several months we have been working our way through all the Back Country Horseman of Washington Chapters in our state. We will conclude with the final chapters next month.
Capitol Riders meet every 3rd Tuesday at 7 pm at the Littlerock Fire Station. We are responsible for clearing the Campground Trail in Capitol Forest. There are many trails of various length and some are multiple-use. Information and a trail map can be found at www.dnr.wa.gov/Capitol. We’ve joined Oakland Bay Chapter the last few years to help with their Fun Ride at Kennedy Creek in Shelton. Our members ride Capitol Forest, Fort Lewis, Kennedy Creek, Scatter Creek, Nisqually Mashel, and others. There are weekend camping trips scheduled each year in various areas of Oregon and Washington. Visit our website: capitolriders.org.
Mt. Olympus is the newest chapter of Back Country Horsemen of Washington. Based in the foothills of Mount Olympus and the Solduc River Valley of the Northwest Olympic Peninsula, we are a group of experienced riders and trail warriors who are dedicated to the BCHW’s mission of keeping public lands open for historic stock use and ultimately for the enjoyment of all trail users.
We benefit our members and the entire horse and trail-user community (no comma) by sponsoring a variety of educational programs for both young and old. We teach Leave No Trace principles, trail horsemanship clinics, the use of personal protection equipment, and safety and first-aid for both horse and rider.
Nestled in the beauty of the Olympic Peninsula, most of our trails follow pristine rivers into mountainous beauty where adventure is only limited by the expertise of horse and rider. The Olympic National Park has miles of horse accessible trails including the Elwha River Trail, Bogachiel River Trail, Queets River Trail and Quinault River Trail. The USFS Littleton Trail and Horse Camp provides one of the most accessible trail systems, with views of Mt Olympus, Vancouver Island, and Lake Crescent from 3000’ elevation. Littleton Horse Camp is a primitive horse camp built by local BCHW volunteers and includes horse trailer campsites, corrals, and stock water for horses.
Horsemen should always check with the Olympic National Park or United States Forest Service regarding backcountry fees, availability and trail access and conditions when planning to ride horses on Olympic Peninsula trails. For more information about us contact us at [email protected].
Tahoma chapter is centered in the Maple Valley area and is the largest chapter in the state by membership. We ride in the “Issaquah Alps” including Taylor, Tiger, Cougar and Squak mountains and the Danville-Georgetown trail system close to Maple Valley. In the back country, we frequent the Crystal Mountain and Greenwater areas.
We have a large, diverse membership and are active in trail maintenance in both the front and back country. We schedule summer camping rides, local day rides, work parties and classes in Dutch oven cooking, knot tying and trailer backing. We organize a large prize ride in September to fund our chapter, support several Rendezvous activities, and contribute our time to several statewide efforts.
Our chapter meets the first Wednesday of the month at the Cedar River Grange, our prize ride this year is September 9, and our website is www.tahomabchw.org. Come join us!
Whatcom County defines the outdoor experience of the Pacific Northwest. We have trails at sea level on Puget Sound and others that climb to more than 5000 feet in the Cascades along the United States/Canadian border. Chuckanut Mountain runs north and south between Interstate 5 and Chuckanut Drive on Puget Sound overlooking the San Juan Islands. Trails from all sides of Chuckanut Mountain lead to spectacular views with several small fishing lakes scattered near the top.
On Mt. Baker Highway, about 40 miles east of Bellingham, you’ll find a number of trailheads that lead to “Sound of Music” views. On a clear day and from the right location, you can look south over the Cascades to see Mt. Rainier, views to the east cover the Okanogan mountains and valleys, north over the Chilliwack River in British Columbia, and west down to the Puget Sound and the Nooksack River. In the foothills between Mt. Baker and Bellingham Bay we have moderate hills and valleys that are open year-round and offer a variety of trail riding experience.
Contact one of our members and we’ll gladly show you around. www.whatcom-bch.com
Originally Published September 2017 Issue
Back Country Horsemen of Washington (BCHW), is a 501 (c) (3) organization with 32 chapters across the state dedicated to: keeping trails open for all users; educating horse users in Leave-No-Trace practices; and providing volunteer service to resource agencies.
