Kiona Peak is the mighty sentinel which heralds your arrival to the upper Cowlitz Valley. You’ll see towering cliffs and dramatic rock formations, all crowned with meadows clinging to those craggy precipice. From those lofty heights one may gaze down on the green fields and the rolling expanse of the forests, mountains, and ice clad volcanoes beyond. However, all this amazing country is off-limits to the public, locked behind gates and “no trespassing” signs. For the people of the little town of Randle, nestled at the foot of Kiona Peak, they may look, but never touch the open spaces which lie just beyond their doorsteps.
We need to purchase and preserve Kiona Peak and the other little mountains around Randle, and reopen them to public access. A trail once extended right from the town of Randle up to the top of Kiona Peak, connecting in with a vast trail network across the wild land between the Cowlitz and Nisqually River Valleys. That trail network has sadly mostly vanished, and I believe we need to bring back the outdoor access which many miles of backcountry hiking trails provide. For locals, this would mean no longer needing to drive out into the national forest for a walk, and for travelers it would represent a uniquely accessible opportunity to go for a hike without having to get off the highway, or drive as far from I-5.
From an economic standpoint, this is precisely what Randle needs to tap into Washington’s enormous outdoor recreation economy. Businesses here would benefit greatly from hikers making the town itself their destination, rather than just passing through on their way to more distant locations. To be clear, Kiona Peak would NOT be a highly developed park, but rather a wild preserve with rugged boot paths. Horseback riders would also benefit from a significant trail system here, and there is room for a separate mountain bike trail (to reduce trail user conflict). Disc golf and geocaching are also low impact activities which could be accommodated here. It’s important to note that this park would be community managed, so if a particular activity is unwanted by the community, it could be excluded.
Establishing this protected area would involve a great deal of restoration; much of the landscape has been heavily logged and replanted with low diversity plantation forest. Commercial thinning of those plantations is necessary to reestablish natural, healthy forests. In recently clearcut areas, I propose that we also create areas of native prairie; an ecosystem which was once common in Western Washington, but of which only 3% remains. This would be of great benefit to many species here, from elk and deer to birds of prey, among many others. It would also serve to make the area more attractive to visit, with spectacular flowers in spring. Autumn colors would also be enhanced by the planting of deciduous species such as aspen, birch, and big leaf and vine maples.
One particularly interesting aspect of Kiona Peak is the cluster of miniature mountains on its lower flanks. Combined with the rock formations on its slopes, there is a lot of interesting geology on display here. Those smaller mountains would also make for ideal destinations for short, highly accessible hiking trails, allowing for a park here to have numerous hiking trails of varying difficulty.
We need new protected areas near our rural communities to restore access to the outdoors, to improve small town economies, and to bring degraded ecosystems back to their former glory.
Leave a Reply