The Capitol State Forest is a 91,650-acre (370.9 km2) state forest located in Thurston and Grays Harbor counties, Washington. It includes part of the unusual Mima Mounds geologic feature.
The Capitol State Forest is managed by Washington Department of Natural Resources.
History[]
In 1870, the first timber claims in what would become Capitol Forest were made. By 1880, a utopian society from Brooklyn, New York takes up residence in the forest. Most of the members do not last past the first winter. It is also during this time that the Black Hills are first logged.
When Washington becomes the 42nd state in 1889, Congress grants the state 5,000 acres in the area that would become Capitol Forest.
In 1892, the a logging camp was formed that would later become the town of Bordeaux.
The starts of the 1900s saw massive change. The forest was harvested by railroad logging companies. More than 80 percent of the forest was logged Over 100 miles of railroads were built through the Black Hills. Many rail beds would later became trails and roads.
In 1933, with support of foresters, the Legislature acts toassure the long-term timber supply, and starts what would become Capitol State Forest by authorizing the purchase of 52,000 acres of logged, burned-over land for 50 cents per acre. This transfered suitable, tax-defaulted lands from the counties to the state Forest Board, to be managed forever as commercial forest. 14,000 acres are eventually transferred.
After peaking with about 500 people in in the 1920's and 30's, Bordeaux becomes a ghost town in 1941.
In 1955 the Capitol Forest opens for public recreation and other uses, provided they do not conflict with meeting the needs of the resources and the trusts. The following year the Cedar Creek Corrections Camp is created. Inmates were to help in forest management, planting, thinning, fighting forest fires and trail maintenance.
Forest management continued under the newly created Department of Natural resources in 1957. In 1960, the first commercial thinning of forest was done to promote a healthier forest.
15,000 more acres were added to the forest in 1970 and 10,000 more acres in 1989.
Geography[]
It is approximately bounded by U.S. Route 12 to the southwest, Interstate 5 to the east and State Route 8 to the north. It roughly contains the Black Hills.
Recreation[]
The forest is a multi-use forest with active logging operations and is open for off-road motorcycles, mountain biking, horseback riding, and hiking.