History

Most of the 1689 acres of the Coal Creek Study Area are south-facing slopes that are moderately wooded, with large meadows, some springs and ponds. Wildlife is abundant. The property is part of the Ralston Creek Uplands. The rugged uplands are covered with forests and woodlands and include steep granite outcrops.

The forest can be extremely dense in places (a sign of past logging), but has been thinned out in others due to spruce bud worm and pine beetle kills. The areas that are less densely forested have a more diverse understory and herbaceous layer. Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir are dominant tree species on the steep and rocky slopes.

In some areas the ponderosa pines form savannahs that include spike fescue grass, forming a rare plant community in the southern section of the site. Common shrubs include mountain mahogany, Rocky Mountain juniper, common juniper, Boulder raspberry and wax currant. The shrublands also contain rare plant communities dominated by mountain mahogany and needle-and-thread grass. Rocky Mountain juniper and mountain mahogany dominate large sections, forming a matrix with ponderosa pine, Douglas fir and very healthy and diverse native grassland communities.