Mount Ben Preserve

Mount Ben Preserve is located on the south shoulder of Mount Dallas. It protects important scenic and ecological resources. The Land Bank and San Juan Preservation Trust have partnered on this project with a goal of providing opportunity for public access to enjoy the beauty and diversity of the Preserve. The lower reaches of the preserve include mixed forest with gnarled old growth trees while in the upper reaches contain diverse wildflowers and rare prairie and savannah habitat. Outstanding views from the Preserve include the pastoral landscape of San Juan Valley, the rugged shorelines of San Juan and Lopez Islands, and broad vistas across the expanse of Juan De Fuca and Haro Straits to the Olympic Peninsula and Vancouver Island. The Land Bank and the Preservation Trust first acquired a conservation easement on this property in 2004. The landowner later gifted their remaining interest in the property with the wish that its resources be conserved and made available to the people of San Juan County in perpetuity.