Big Tree Trail
The Rhododendron Preserve is a nature conservancy and home to wild creatures. When you visit please, leave your pets at home. Even the best behaved dog on the trail will disturb the wildlife for 24 hours.
The Preserve is a sensitive ecosystem. With your help we can protect this amazing space. Please, stay on the trail and out of the creeks. Visitors assume all risks inherent in visiting the Preserve.
We maintain the Big Tree trail into the Preserve. The trailhead begins at the Kitsap Cabin and is marked with a kiosk. The trail ends at Big Tree.
Thank you for staying on the trail and for leaving your pets at home. The hike to Big Tree is 1.5 miles, round trip.
Getting There
Parking is located at The Mountaineers Kitsap Cabin and Kitsap Forest Theater Complex located at 2401 Seabeck Hwy NW, Bremerton. The parking lot can be very busy!
We recommend leaving a note on your car that you are on the Preserve.
The entrance to the Preserve is shared with The Mountaineers and crosses private property. We ask visitors to be thoughtful of other users of the property and to drive slowly and cautiously.
Take a Virtual Tour
Make the Most of Your Visit
We are pleased to offer downloadable resources for a wide range of indoor and outdoor games and learning activities designed to inspire learners of all ages to become good stewards of our air, land, and water.
Visiting Us FAQ
YES! We periodically have guided tours. Please sign up for upcoming tours and events.
NO! Dogs and pets are not allowed at the Preserve or on the trail. Thank you for leaving your pets home. Even the most well behaved dog disrupts the natural rhythms of the animals that make the Preserve their home.
NO, please leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but pictures and great memories.
Salmon spawning time is dependent on the weather. Typically the spawning run happens in November, but it can happen earlier or later, depending on stream flow.
Big Tree is a Douglas fir tree that is over 30 feet around. It is the largest publicly accessible Douglas fir in Kitsap County.
The Mountaineers was founded in 1906 as a private club for outdoor enthusiasts of the Pacific Northwest.
Mountaineers Foundation was established in 1968 as a 501(c)(3) organization with an independent board and unique mission. The founders wanted to work on conservation and environmental issues outside the scope of the climbing club.
Mountaineers Foundation has been an independent organization since its founding. Mountaineers Foundation, and Keta Legacy Foundation, exercise control and oversight over our organization and assets. We have a cooperative relationship with The Mountaineers while maintaining control over our organization and assets.
The name Keta Legacy Foundation was chosen to reflect our core values and to emphasize to donors that our mission is unique and separate from The Mountaineers.
The Keta Legacy Foundation owns, maintains and protects the Rhododendron Preserve in perpetuity.