This 557 acre NRCA is composed of a diverse forest community that ranges in age from young to old growth (more than 200 years old) stands. The site contains portions of Elkhorn Creek and Smith Creek and is dominated by western redcedar, western hemlock, and Sitka spruce. In portions of the site, very large (up to 8 feet in diameter) western redcedar and Sitka spruce are common. The old growth forests of this site and an adjacent privately owned preserve have some of the highest diversity of amphibians of any location in Washington. The preserve also provides important breeding habitat for the federally threatened marbled murrelet. Natural forests, like those at Ellsworth Creek NRCA, are extremely rare in Willapa Hills of southwest Washington.  

 

Features Protected: Sitka spruce/Oregon oxalis, western hemlock/swordfern community, western hemlock/salal-deerfern community, western hemlock/Oregon oxalis community, Columbia torrent salamander, and Van Dyke’s salamander.
Ecoregion: Northwest Coast  (Pacific County) 

Public and private universities, other research institutions and individual researchers may contact DNR to propose a research project at the site. If you are interested in pursuing research at Ellsworth Creek NRCA, please contact David Wilderman, natural areas ecologist, at david.wilderman@dnr.wa.gov.  

Currently no formal educational programs are available at Ellsworth Creek NRCA. The site has no developed public access facilities. For more information, contact the DNR Pacific Cascade Region natural areas manager.