GMU 490 - Cedar River, Washington

GMU 490 occupies the Cedar River watershed in the western Cascade Range, roughly 35 miles southeast of Seattle in King County. The unit spans approximately 90,638 acres (about 184 square miles), running roughly 24 miles east-west and 10 miles north-south. Elevation ranges from approximately 500 feet at the lower Cedar River valley near Renton to 5,414 feet at Meadow Mountain. Headwaters originate near Abiel Peak, Meadow Mountain, and Yakima Pass along the King-Kittitas county line at around 2,220 feet. The landscape is deeply incised river valleys flanked by steep Cascades ridgelines, with Chester Morse Lake (the main Seattle reservoir) as the dominant valley feature at mid-elevation. Upper terrain transitions into subalpine meadows and talus fields near the crests.

The entire GMU is owned by the City of Seattle / Seattle Public Utilities and is closed to the general public except at designated areas. The upper watershed is closed to all public entry, limited to guided educational tours through the Cedar River Watershed Education Center near North Bend. Rattlesnake Lake Recreation Area at the lower western edge permits hiking and non-motorized recreation but prohibits hunting and gathering. There are no public roads, trailheads, or access corridors into the core habitat. The GMU boundary is defined as the posted boundary of the City of Seattle's Cedar River Watershed (per WDFW GMU boundary description). Adjacent public hunting lands include GMU 485 (Green River) to the north and GMU 653 (White River) to the east/southeast.

Lower elevations support dense second-growth Douglas fir, western red cedar, and bigleaf maple recovering from early 20th century logging. Mid-elevations (2,500-3,700 ft) transition to silver fir forest zone with western hemlock and Pacific silver fir dominant. Approximately 14,000 acres of old-growth forest remain in the upper watershed above 3,500 feet, one of the largest old-growth remnants in the western Cascades. Subalpine meadows above 4,500 feet provide summer forage for deer, elk, and mountain goat. Riparian corridors along the Cedar River main stem and Rex River are dense with alder, cottonwood, and shrub understory. The watershed contains forest, wetlands, meadows, and lake/reservoir habitats supporting 82 designated fish and wildlife species under the Seattle Public Utilities 50-year Habitat Conservation Plan.

Black-tailed deer occupy the entire elevation range, wintering in lower valley floors and riparian zones and moving to upper meadows in summer. Roosevelt elk use similar seasonal patterns, with the Cedar, Snoqualmie, and Green River drainages forming one of the more productive elk corridors in western King County. Black bear are widespread throughout, with greatest activity in berry-producing mid-elevation transitional areas and old-growth margins. Cougar are resident throughout. Mountain goat are occasionally observed on the high rocky ridges above Chester Morse Lake. The uninterrupted, unroaded quality of the upper watershed makes it exceptionally productive wildlife habitat, but it is entirely off-limits to hunters.

Hunters researching GMU 490 should be aware this unit is entirely the City of Seattle's Cedar River Watershed, closed to all public hunting by city ordinance and confirmed by state WAC closures for deer, elk, bear, and cougar. The unit harbors outstanding wildlife populations in a roadless old-growth and second-growth landscape. The 50-year Habitat Conservation Plan (adopted 2000) protects 82 fish and wildlife species. Adjacent GMUs 485, 653, and 460 offer the nearest legal hunting access in similar terrain.