- Property Type: Trust-Assisted, Trust-Owned
- Date Added: 1999
- Concrete
- 212 acres
- Open to the Public, Featured Property
- Bird & Wildlife Watching
Conservation Story
Hurn Field Conservation Area is a 212 acre protected landscape along Highway 20 near Concrete, preserved by Skagit Land Trust to safeguard vital wildlife habitat, including open pastures used by the Nooksack elk herd and ecologically rich wetlands along House Slough. With scenic viewing from a roadside pullout, this property celebrates local conservation efforts that support native species, agricultural land use, and public enjoyment of Skagit County’s natural heritage.
Skagit Land Trust began acquiring Hurn Field Conservation Area in 1999 through a fundraising campaign. In 2002, Skagit Land Trust helped the United States Forest Service acquire 77 acres that are next to Hurn Field Conservation Area, creating a wildlife corridor in this area for local wildlife. In 2013 and 2014, more acres within the Skagit River floodplain were acquired with funding from the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board and a financial match from Seattle City Light. In 2019 and 2024, Skagit Land Trust added more adjacent lands to the Conservation Area bringing the total protected area to 212 acres.
Site History and Ecology
Protecting large areas of open field and pasture gives elk room to graze away from Highway 20 and nearby development. The pastures at Hurn Field Conservation Area are a key part of this habitat, offering forage and a buffer for the local elk population. To the east, House Slough provides rich aquatic habitat for amphibians, beavers, and birds, and serves as important rearing habitat for young salmon. The rest of the Conservation Area is largely woodland.
Stewardship at Hurn Field centers on two ongoing goals: keeping the open pastures healthy as elk grazing habitat and restoring the forested areas by removing invasive species and planting native trees and shrubs. In 2020, volunteers and the Washington Conservation Corps installed 500 native plants in one of the property’s newer parcels, with support from dedicated Land Stewards like Ron, who has helped plant native trees and shrubs on site.
Access
Visitors may access Hurn Field Conservation Area via a scenic pullout off of Highway 20, where there are interpretive signs describing the importance of Hurn Field to fish, wildlife, and people. Skagit Land Trust requests visitors to refrain from walking into the field to avoid disturbing wildlife.
How to Get There
Follow Highway 20 east from Sedro-Woolley. This property is located just three miles before the town of Concrete on the right. There is a gravel parking lot.
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