This 348-acre site consists of oak and pine woodland, wet meadow, a seasonal stream with associated wetlands, and forested riparian habitat along Bowman Creek. It is popular with turkey hunters, and is enrolled in WDFW’s disabled hunter access program for deer.
Recreational Activities: Hunting
Access:
⇒ Turkey hunting is available seasonally for one hunting party at a time. Reserve through WDFW.
⇒ Deer hunting is open to qualifying individuals as part of WDFW’s disabled hunter access program. Learn more and apply.
⇒ For non-hunting activities email landaccess@columbialandtrust.org with details about why you’d like access and when.
⇒ Day use only
Dogs: No dogs allowed
Amenities: Small dirt parking area
Trails: There is a small network of two-track dirt roads and unmaintained trails. Various unmapped game trails and prescribed fire control lines exist as well.
Acreage: 348 acres
County: Klickitat County
Nearest Town: Klickitat, WA
Directions: View on Google Maps. From Zelenski Road, turn south into the dirt parking area behind the green gate. Vehicle passage through the interior gate is not allowed, except for registered ADA hunters who have been provided access. About 10 vehicles can fit in this packed dirt parking area. Past the interior gate, walk on the dirt road into the site.
Tips for visiting: This site is being managed for wildlife and hunting, so no dogs are allowed. Please follow all state and federal hunting regulations, as well as Columbia Land Trust’s hunting rules. Occasionally, access is limited due to prescribed burning in the spring and fall.
Year Conserved: 2010
About: Bowman Creek Natural Area is home to one of the largest documented concentrations of western gray squirrel nests in Klickitat County. Once slated for subdivision into dozens of small home lots, the wild landscape at Bowman Creek remains intact with habitat features that support these state-endangered squirrels and a wide variety of other wildlife. Since acquiring this site in 2010, Columbia Land Trust volunteers and staff regularly count squirrel nests to understand squirrel activity through time and in response to management activities. This monitoring helps track squirrel nesting patterns to inform our management of this special site. Read more about our management of Bowman Creek.
Learn more about the importance of oak habitats and how you can help care for them with East Cascades Oak Partnership (ECOP), an oak conservation collaborative stewarded by Columbia Land Trust.
Project Partners: This site was conserved with support from American Bird Conservancy, North American Wetland Conservation Act, and The Nature Conservancy in partnership with the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Additional partners have supported management and restoration of the site, including The National Wild Turkey Federation, Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Health and Resilience, Community Wildfire Defense, and Mt. Adams Prescribed Burn Association (PBA).