This Washington Forest Is Filled With Sculptures That Look Straight Out Of A Fantasy World

A quiet forest walk changes instantly when a giant creature appears between the trees.

In Washington, oversized sculptures rise beside ferns, hover above trails, and turn the woodland into something wonderfully surreal.

Every bend feels like a reveal!

Wire forms, strange shapes, and imaginative figures blend into the evergreens just enough to keep you scanning the scenery.

The trails stay manageable, so there is time to notice smaller details instead of rushing ahead. Self-guided features add context without spoiling the surprise.

Come ready to look up, look sideways, and stop often.

The next piece of art might be hiding behind the very next tree, and that keeps the whole walk exciting.

A Family Choice Saved The Woods

Back in 2008, Scott Price and his family bought the main 15.1-acre forest parcel, later adding two neighboring parcels that brought the preserve to about 16.3 acres.

Life shifted, as it tends to do, and they built elsewhere in Coupeville instead. That left them holding a wooded lot with an uncertain future.

Selling often means subdivision or clear-cutting, and that idea did not sit well with them. So they worked with the Whidbey Camano Land Trust to lock in a permanent Conservation Easement.

All residential development rights vanished from the deed. Clear-cutting became impossible, forever.

Visits to several sculpture parks while traveling helped inspire founder Scott Price to combine outdoor art with the forest he had worked to preserve. He wanted Washington to have something similar, open to anyone who wandered up the road.

Doors opened to the public on October 23, 2020, which was a bold year to launch anything outdoors. A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization now runs the whole operation.

Price Sculpture Forest sits at 678 Parker Rd, Coupeville, tucked into the trees on purpose.

Two Loops, Endless Surprises

Roughly 0.6 miles of trail, and I still managed to spend nearly an hour out there. The math does not add up until you realize how often you stop.

Two loops split the property: Nature Nurtured and Whimsy Way. Together they cover about one kilometer through century-old woods.

Hard-packed dirt makes up the surface, so the paths feel like part of the forest rather than a concrete intrusion. No pavement, no noise, just soft footfalls and birdsong.

The sculptures are placed with real intention. Some rest low among sword ferns, while others dangle from branches high above your head.

I learned quickly to look up. Twice I nearly walked under something remarkable without noticing it.

Rhododendrons bloom against a thick native understory, and the trunks around you have been standing for a hundred years. That backdrop does half the artistic work.

Every bend rewards patience with a new shape, a new material, a new mood. The effect lands somewhere between museum and treasure hunt.

Nature Nurtured Welcomes Everyone

Wide and mostly level, the Nature Nurtured loop is the more accessible of the two paths. It rolls with only gradual changes in elevation.

Strollers handle it without drama. Wheelchairs and mobility scooters generally work here too, especially on dry days.

Fair warning though: the surface is not perfectly smooth, and puddles gather after rain. I would check the forecast before counting on wheels.

Rest benches provide places to pause along the route while visitors take in the art and surrounding forest.

Sculptures on this side lean into themes drawn from the natural world. They tuck into the greenery so well that some take a second glance to spot.

Accessibility remains an ongoing priority, with grants and improvement projects helping the park refine the Nature Nurtured trail for visitors with mobility challenges.

Families with small kids tend to love this loop, since nobody has to be carried uphill. Grandparents seem to appreciate it just as much.

Inclusion is not an afterthought at this Washington preserve, and that thoughtfulness shows in every graded foot of trail.

Whimsy Way Climbs Higher

Steeper, narrower, and considerably more fun for anyone with working knees. Whimsy Way drops down a sloped hillside before climbing back up, creating a more demanding route than Nature Nurtured.

Total elevation change runs near 100 feet. That is enough to warm your legs without ruining your afternoon.

Because of the grade, this loop is not ADA accessible. Wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and anyone bothered by slopes should stick to the other path.

The reward for climbing is a distinctly sillier collection of artwork. Pieces here lean playful, imaginative, and occasionally a little absurd in the best way.

Benches along Whimsy Way provide places to pause during the trail’s downhill and uphill sections.

Hidden works are part of the game on this side. A few blend so thoroughly into branches and bark that finding them feels earned.

Regular walking shoes handled everything fine for me. No poles, no boots, no special gear required. Combining both loops gives you the complete picture of what Price Sculpture Forest is doing.

Scan, Watch, Then Wander

Pull out your phone and the forest starts talking. A free self-guided tour runs right in your mobile browser, with no separate app to install.

Instructions live on the entry kiosk sign, so read that before heading in. I skimmed it too fast and had to walk back.

Plaques beside each sculpture list the title and artist, plus a QR code. Scanning opens rich descriptions and short videos of the sculptors speaking about their own work.

Hearing an artist explain their thinking changed how I saw several pieces. Context turns a curious shape into a story.

Separately, near the parking lot, sits a world-first augmented reality exhibition. That one uses a free downloadable AR app and blends digital 3D sculptures with a physical concrete platform.

Point your device at the posts and figures appear that exist nowhere else. Kids seemed genuinely stunned by it.

Cellular coverage can be spotty in this rural corner, which is exactly why free high-speed Wi-Fi is provided near the lot. Download before you wander. Two different tech experiences, two different locations, one memorable morning.

Wire Pegasus And Hidden Giants

More than twenty sculptures live in these woods, and no two feel alike. Artists work directly with the setting instead of fighting it.

Placement matters as much as the pieces themselves. Some appear to rise straight out of the soil, roots and all.

Others hang suspended in the canopy, swaying slightly when the breeze picks up. Elizabeth Berrien’s Golden Pegasus brings a mythological figure into the canopy through her distinctive wire sculpture technique.

Joe Treat’s enormous driftwood Tyrannosaurus Rex remains one of Whimsy Way’s signature surprises, appearing dramatically among the ferns.

The wire works are intentionally subtle, partly blending with the branches. Spotting them is meant to be part of the experience, not a flaw.

Steve Backus’s Bernie’s Throne adds a large-scale carved wood piece to the forest collection. Big pieces like that arrive through real community effort.

Some sculptures are donated outright, while others arrive on loan and rotate out over time. A handful are even available for acquisition. Rotation means the collection changes, so a return trip in Washington never feels like a rerun.

Volunteers Keep It Growing

Calling this place an art park only tells half the story. It is also a working nature preserve with real ecological goals.

Habitat restoration happens continuously across the property. Crews manage invasive species so native plants and animals can hold their ground.

The permanent Conservation Easement protects the habitat from residential development and clear-cutting while allowing limited infrastructure that supports the public park.

The founder has described the whole preserve as a sculpture on a big scale, a collaborative artwork belonging to the community. Once I heard that framing, the layout made more sense.

Volunteers do the heavy lifting here. Donations and community support cover maintenance, new installations, and improvements.

Grants, donations, and volunteer work support continued accessibility improvements and long-term care across the preserve.

Deer wander close to the trails, unbothered by visitors. I watched one pause beside a sculpture as though considering the composition.

Dogs are not permitted, and that policy protects both wildlife and artwork. Whidbey Island has plenty of dog-friendly spots elsewhere.

Timing, Parking And Practical Tips

Open every single day of the year, which removes most planning stress. Hours run 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, or until sunset if that comes earlier.

Admission costs nothing. Voluntary donations are welcomed and genuinely keep the lights on.

A paved parking lot sits at the main entrance, including a designated accessible spot. The lot has been expanded but stays modest, so free street parking helps on busy days.

Heads up: the roadside sign is small and easy to blow past. I overshot the driveway on my first attempt.

Visitor levels can vary, so arriving earlier in the day can make parking and trail access simpler during busy periods.

A portable restroom is available near the paved parking area. A posted map and trail signage help visitors navigate the two loops, while phone-based information adds details about individual sculptures.

The preserve sits just east of downtown Coupeville on Whidbey Island. Coupeville’s roughly 1.5-mile walking route provides a pedestrian connection from town to Price Sculpture Forest.